Five years ago, when Mike and Amy Morhaime founded Dreamhaven, I had the opportunity to delve into their vision for the company. In our discussion, they outlined their ambition to create a sustainable publishing and support system for game studios, including the two they were establishing at the time, Moonshot and Secret Door, along with other carefully selected partners.

At the conclusion of our interview, Mike Morhaime articulated a bold aspiration for the fledgling company:

"We want, if I may be so bold as to say, to be a beacon to the industry," he stated, drawing a parallel to the company's lighthouse logo. "There's a better way of approaching the business of games and the operation of a game company that can yield outstanding results, both in terms of product quality and financial success, as well as fostering a positive work environment. This approach might elevate the entire industry."

Around the time Dreamhaven was established, the gaming landscape saw a surge of new studios led by former AAA developers, each promising a more sustainable and innovative future. However, the industry faced significant challenges in the intervening years, including a global pandemic, economic volatility, mass layoffs, studio closures, and project cancellations. Many of these promising studios either shut down before launching any titles or had to delay their projects indefinitely.

Despite these industry-wide challenges, Dreamhaven has thrived. Recently, they partnered with The Game Awards to unveil their first showcase, presenting not one or two, but four impressive titles. Two of these are internally developed: 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 centered around space heists, which we've already had the pleasure of previewing. Additionally, Dreamhaven is publishing and supporting two externally developed games: Lynked: Banner of the Spark, an action-RPG from LA-based developer FuzzyBot, currently in early access and slated for its 1.0 launch in May, and Mechabellum, a turn-based tactical auto-battler from Chinese studio Game River, which released last September. With Dreamhaven's backing, Game River aims to keep Mechabellum fresh and updated for the long haul.

This array of projects showcases Dreamhaven's robust activity as a relatively new player in the gaming industry. But their efforts extend beyond their own titles. Dreamhaven is also supporting ten other external studios, many of which are led by ex-AAA developers, through investments, consultancy, and fundraising support. Sometimes this involves publishing, but not always. During the Game Developers Conference (GDC) last week, Mike Morhaime explained that Dreamhaven's aim from the start 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," he noted. "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. So, we established a framework that provided guidance and advice, and incentivized us to see them succeed."

Throughout GDC, discussions highlighted the ongoing industry crisis, often attributing it to the prioritization of profits over all else, leading to numerous cancellations, studio closures, and layoffs. When asked about balancing craft and business, Morhaime argued that they are not mutually exclusive. However, he emphasized the importance of allowing room for occasional failure to foster innovation.

"To create an environment that encourages innovation, you need a certain level of safety and space for experimentation," he said. "We're not against our products being successful and profitable. It's about focus. Our teams prioritize creating the best possible experience, which we believe is the right business strategy and positions us for long-term success. With the intense competition and the sheer number of games released yearly, the only way to stand out is with something truly special."

With Dreamhaven and its partners largely composed of AAA veterans, I posed a dual question to Morhaime about the biggest lesson he learned from his time at Blizzard. He highlighted the importance of an "iterative" development process.

"It was never linear. It was never a straight line where you have a perfect plan and everything goes according to it, leading to happiness and success. We always faced obstacles and things that didn't work as expected, but we had the flexibility and adaptability to address them. So, we approach everything with the mindset of being experimental, willing to try things, and if they don't work, to go back and fix them until we're proud of the result."

Conversely, I asked about the primary difference between working at Blizzard and at Dreamhaven. Morhaime's response was succinct: agency.

"Probably the biggest difference is that this is such an experienced team, and we're structured to give a lot of agency to our studio leadership," he explained. "It's a unique environment where our studios have a supportive relationship with the central company. The central teams are here to meet the studios' needs, and our studio heads and leadership are also founding members of Dreamhaven, making it a true partnership."

Our conversation shifted to new technologies, specifically the contentious topic of generative AI. Despite its unpopularity among gamers and concerns among developers, many AAA companies are integrating it. Dreamhaven, Morhaime said, is cautiously exploring generative AI, primarily for research into best practices and internal policy development, but it's not being used in their games.

"As a technologist and someone who appreciates technology's potential, I find it incredibly exciting. We're witnessing the birth of something fascinating. Just a few years ago, I never imagined generative AI could achieve what it's doing now. There are complex legal and ethical considerations, and it's challenging to predict its broader impact on our lives. I believe it will affect us in many positive ways, though some aspects are concerning. Ignoring it or trying to suppress it won't stop its progress, and those who do may be at a significant disadvantage."

When discussing a less controversial technology, the Nintendo Switch 2, Morhaime noted that Sunderfolk and Lynked are both coming to the Switch. Although Mechabellum remains Steam-exclusive due to its genre, Wildgate was conspicuously absent from Switch's multi-platform announcement. Morhaime remained tight-lipped on this but offered general insights on the new console:

"Console transitions can be disruptive but also invigorating and beneficial for the games industry. As a gaming startup, we see these transitions as positive. If you're already established with games on the market, there might be some disruption to navigate, but we don't have that issue. And as a gamer, console transitions are exciting."

As our conversation drew to a close, I revisited Morhaime's five-year-old vision of Dreamhaven as a "beacon to the industry." He admitted that they're not there yet. They need to release their games and gauge the response from both players and the industry.

"We have to put out games that people love and achieve financial success. If we fail in either of these areas, we won't be seen as a beacon. What I ultimately want for Dreamhaven is to build a reputation among gamers where our brand stands for quality and trust. We want players to know that if a game comes from Dreamhaven, regardless of genre, it will be something special, sparking their curiosity to explore it."