Mike Morhaime, former CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, has announced the launch of Dreamhaven, a new game company based in Irvine, California, that will initially comprise two studios: Moonshot and Secret Door.
“I’m excited to team up with such talented people who care deeply about games and their communities,” Morhaime said. “I’ve always believed in the power of games to bring people together regardless of backgrounds or boundaries. With Dreamhaven, we look forward to creating and sharing new experiences with players everywhere.”
Dreamhaven strives to empower creators, helping them to bring their ideas to life, and create unique gaming experiences that promote profound connections between players. Moonshot Games will be led by gaming industry veterans Jason Chayes, Dustin Browder, and Ben Thompson.
Before joining Dreamhaven, Chayes was as an executive producer at Blizzard Entertainment that led the Hearthstone team, a senior director at Electronic Arts, and an art director for the Walt Disney Company’s game division. Browder has been a game director on StarCraft II, Heroes of the Storm, Command and Conquer, and The Lord of the Rings, while Thompson has served as creative director on Hearthstone, art director for the World of Warcraft trading card game, and worked on Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
According to Chayes, Dreamhaven has assembled experienced developers with shared values. He hopes the studio represents “curiosity and courage” and a culture of trust in order to successfully work together and engage players.
Secret Door, which will be led by Chris Sigaty, Alan Dabiri, and Eric Dodds, includes a team of highly talented developers with broad industry experience. Sigaty has been an executive producer on Hearthstone, StarCraft II, and Heroes of the Storm, as well as lead producer on the original Warcraft 3. Dodds was the original game director of Hearthstone and a veteran game designer on World of Warcraft and StarCraft, while Dabiri has served as technical director and game director on Warcraft 3, StarCraft II, and Heroes of the Storm.
Source: Dreamhaven