Former Blizzard Leads Unveil New Venture at Dreamhaven Showcase

Five years ago, when Mike and Amy Morhaime founded Dreamhaven, I had the opportunity to delve into their vision for the company with several of the founding members. Their goal was to create a sustainable publishing and support pillar for game studios, including the two they were founding at the time, Moonshot and Secret Door, as well as other partners they chose to work with.

At the conclusion of our interview, Mike Morhaime expressed a bold ambition for Dreamhaven: "We want, if I may be so bold as to say, to be a beacon to the industry," he remarked, drawing inspiration from the company's lighthouse logo. He envisioned a new approach to the business of games, one that could yield exceptional products, financial success, and a positive work environment, potentially elevating the entire industry.

During the period when Dreamhaven was established, numerous studios were being launched by former AAA leaders with promises of a more sustainable and innovative future. However, the gaming industry has since faced significant challenges, including a global pandemic, economic instability, widespread layoffs, studio closures, and project cancellations. Many of these visionary studios have either shut down before releasing any games or have had to postpone their aspirations.

Unlike many others, Dreamhaven has persevered. Today, they partnered with The Game Awards for their first-ever showcase, unveiling not just one or two, but four games. Internally developed titles include Sunderfolk, a turn-based tactical RPG with couch co-op set for release on April 23, and the newly announced Wildgate, a crew-based first-person shooter focused on space heists, which we had the privilege to preview. Additionally, Dreamhaven is publishing and supporting two external titles: Lynked: Banner of the Spark, an action-RPG from LA-based developer FuzzyBot, currently in early access and slated for a 1.0 launch in May, and Mechabellum, a turn-based tactical auto-battler from Chinese studio Game River, which was released last September and aims to remain fresh with Dreamhaven's ongoing support.

Dreamhaven's ambitious endeavors don't stop there. The company is also supporting ten other external studios, many of which are founded and staffed by former AAA developers. This support ranges from investments and consultancy to fundraising and, in some cases, publishing. Speaking with Mike Morhaime at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) last week, he explained that Dreamhaven's goal from the outset was to create a "net" to "capture some of this great talent that was dispersing" across the industry.

Wildgate - First Screenshots

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"We saw all these studios starting up and we have a lot of relationships," Morhaime shared. "We knew a lot of the folks starting up and we wanted to create a structure that allowed us to be helpful and root for these studios, and so we created a structure that allowed us to provide guidance and advice to some of these studios and be incentivized to want them to be successful."

Throughout GDC, conversations have revolved around the ongoing industry crisis and the role that the prioritization of profits has played in the wave of cancellations, shutdowns, and layoffs. When I asked Morhaime about the tension between craft and business, he didn't see them as mutually exclusive but emphasized that occasional failure must be an option to foster innovation. "I think in order to create an environment that allows for innovation, you have to have a certain amount of safety and a certain amount of space to be able to experiment and try things," he stated. He stressed that while financial success is important, the focus should be on creating the best possible gaming experience, which he believes is the most effective long-term business strategy.

With Dreamhaven and many of its partners staffed by AAA veterans, I asked Morhaime about the most significant lesson he learned from his time at Blizzard. He highlighted the importance of an "iterative" game development process, acknowledging that development is rarely linear and requires flexibility and adaptability to overcome obstacles and refine the product.

When contrasting his current work at Dreamhaven with his time at Blizzard, Morhaime pointed out the increased agency given to the leadership teams at Dreamhaven's studios. He described a unique partnership between the studios and the central company, where the central teams exist to support the studios' needs.

Our discussion then turned to emerging technologies, specifically generative AI, which is both controversial and increasingly implemented by AAA gaming companies. Morhaime expressed cautious optimism about AI at Dreamhaven, indicating that its use has been limited to research on best practices and internal policy drafting, not yet integrated into their games. He acknowledged the potential of AI while recognizing the ethical and legal complexities it introduces.

Regarding the less controversial topic of the Nintendo Switch 2, Morhaime noted that while Sunderfolk and Lynked will be available on the Switch, Wildgate's multi-platform announcement did not include the Switch. He views console transitions as both disruptive and invigorating, particularly beneficial for gaming startups like Dreamhaven.

As we concluded our conversation, I asked Morhaime if he believes Dreamhaven has achieved the mission he outlined five years ago. He responded that while they have made significant strides, they need to release more games and gauge the industry's and players' responses before considering themselves a "beacon to the industry." Morhaime's ultimate goal is for Dreamhaven to establish a reputation where the brand signifies quality and trust, encouraging gamers to explore any game bearing the Dreamhaven name, regardless of genre.