Five years ago, when Mike and Amy Morhaime founded Dreamhaven, I had the opportunity to discuss their vision with several founding members. Their goal was to establish a sustainable publishing and support system for game studios, including the two they were launching at the time, Moonshot and Secret Door, as well as other partners they would collaborate with.
At the conclusion of our interview, Mike Morhaime shared an ambitious goal for the new company:
"We want, if I may be so bold as to say, to be a beacon to the industry," he stated, referencing the company's lighthouse logo. "There's a better way to approach the business of games and the operation of a game company that can yield excellent results, both in terms of products, financial rewards, and work environment, potentially elevating the entire industry."
Around the time Dreamhaven was founded, numerous studios were emerging, led by former AAA executives aiming to create more sustainable models with bold visions for the future. However, the industry has since faced challenges such as a global pandemic, economic instability, mass layoffs, studio closures, and project cancellations. Many of these visionary studios have either shut down before releasing any products or postponed their ambitions indefinitely.
Unlike many others, Dreamhaven has thrived. Recently, they partnered with The Game Awards for their inaugural showcase, unveiling not one or two, but four games. Two are internally developed: Sunderfolk, a turn-based tactical RPG with couch co-op set to launch on April 23, and Wildgate, a newly announced crew-based first-person shooter centered around space heists, which we've had the chance to preview. The other two games are externally developed but published and supported by Dreamhaven: 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. With Dreamhaven's support, Game River aims to keep Mechabellum updated and engaging over the long term.Dreamhaven's activities extend beyond these four games. They are currently supporting ten other external studios, many founded and staffed by former AAA developers, through various means such as investments, consultancy, and fundraising support. While publishing support is offered, it's not always the case. Speaking with Mike Morhaime at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) last week, he explained that Dreamhaven aimed to create a "net" to "capture some of this great talent that was dispersing" throughout the industry.
Wildgate - First Screenshots
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“We saw all these studios starting up and we have a lot of relationships,” he said. “We knew many of the folks starting up and wanted to create a structure that allowed us to be helpful and support these studios. We structured it to provide guidance and advice, and be incentivized to want them to succeed.”
Throughout GDC, discussions centered around the ongoing industry crisis and how the prioritization of profits over all else has led to cancellations, shutdowns, and layoffs. When I asked Morhaime about the tension between craft and business, he believes they are not mutually exclusive. However, he emphasized that occasional failure must be an option to foster an environment conducive to innovation.
“I think to create an environment that allows for innovation, you need a certain level of safety and space to experiment and try things,” he noted. “We're not against these products being successful and profitable. It's about focus. What are these teams focusing on? They're not focusing every day on maximizing profitability at every step. They're trying to create the best experience possible, which we believe is the right business strategy in the long run. With so much competition and so many games released yearly, the only way to succeed is to stand out with something special.”
Given that Dreamhaven and many of its partners are staffed by AAA veterans, I asked Morhaime about the biggest lesson he took away from his time at Blizzard. He highlighted the importance of an “iterative” game development process.
“It was never linear. It was never a straight line where you have a perfect plan and execute it, and everything goes according to plan leading to happiness and success. We always encountered obstacles and things that didn't work as expected, and we had enough flexibility and adaptability to address those along the way. So, I think approaching everything with an experimental mindset, trying things, and being able to go back and fix them if they don't work, leads to a product we're very proud of."On the other hand, the biggest difference between his time at Blizzard and his current approach at Dreamhaven is agency.
“Probably the biggest difference is that we have such an experienced team, and we're structured to give a lot of agency to our leadership teams in the studios,” he explained.
“And so, it's a very unique environment in terms of the relationship between our studios and the central company. The central teams are there to support the needs of the studio, and our studio heads and leadership are also founding members of Dreamhaven. So, it's more of a partnership.”
Our conversation also touched on new technologies, specifically the ongoing tension around generative AI in the gaming industry. While the technology is controversial among gamers and unsettling for many developers, numerous AAA gaming companies are beginning to implement it. Dreamhaven isn't avoiding the topic, Morhaime said, but their use has been cautious, limited to research on best practices or internal policy drafting, and not yet incorporated into their games.
“On one hand, as a technologist and someone who loves what technology can do, I find it super exciting. We're witnessing the birth of something fascinating in our lifetime. Just a couple of years ago, I never imagined generative AI could do what it's currently doing. There are complexities around it, legal, ethical, and it's hard to predict how it will impact our lives. I believe it will affect us in many positive ways, and some scary ones, but you can't just shut it off and put it back in a box. Those who ignore it and pretend it's not there will be at a huge disadvantage.”Regarding a less controversial new technology, the Nintendo Switch 2, Sunderfolk and Lynked are both coming to the Switch, while Mechabellum remains Steam-exclusive due to its genre. Wildgate's multi-platform announcement notably excluded the Switch. Morhaime refrained from commenting specifically on Wildgate but shared his thoughts on the new console:
“I think console transitions can be very disruptive but also invigorating and beneficial for the games industry,” he said. “As a gaming startup, console transitions are positive for us. If you already have games and are selling, there might be some disruption to worry about, but we don't have that problem. And as a gamer, I find console transitions exciting.”
As we concluded our discussion, I asked Morhaime if Dreamhaven has achieved the mission he outlined five years ago. Is Dreamhaven a “beacon to the industry”? Morhaime believes they're not there yet. They need to release their games and see the response from players and the industry.
“We have to put out some games that people love and be financially successful because if we aren't either of those two things, nobody's going to look at us as a beacon for anything,” he said.
“What I want to see is for Dreamhaven to build a reputation with gamers where the brand stands for something, a seal of quality, hopefully, that builds trust. Players should know that if a game comes from Dreamhaven, regardless of genre, it's going to be something very special, and they'll want to check it out.”
