When Mike and Amy Morhaime established Dreamhaven five years ago, I spoke with their founding team about their ambitious vision. They shared plans to create a sustainable publishing and support framework for game studios – both their initial ventures (Moonshot and Secret Door) and future partners.
During our conversation, Mike Morhaime revealed an aspirational goal for the fledgling company:
"Our ambition is to serve as an industry beacon," he explained, referencing their lighthouse logo. "We believe in building games differently – prioritizing both creative excellence and business sustainability while fostering positive work environments that could potentially elevate industry standards."
Dreamhaven emerged during a wave of AAA veterans launching indie studios with transformative promises. Since then, the industry has faced unprecedented challenges: a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, widespread layoffs, and studio closures. Many promising ventures folded before delivering products, while others postponed their visions indefinitely.
Dreamhaven has defied these trends. Their recent Game Awards showcase revealed four upcoming titles. Two internal projects include Sunderfolk (a couch co-op tactical RPG launching April 23) and the newly announced Wildgate (a space heist FPS). Their publishing arm supports Lynked: Banner of the Spark (an action-RPG hitting 1.0 in May) and Mechabellum (a tactical auto-battler from former StarCraft developers).
Wildgate - First Screenshots
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The company's reach extends further, supporting ten external studios through investments and consultancy. At GDC, Morhaime explained their vision of creating a "safety net" for dispersed industry talent.
"We built structures to guide and champion these studios," he noted. "Our relationships and experience position us to meaningfully support creative teams."
When discussing the industry's profit-driven challenges, Morhaime emphasized balancing creativity and commerce. "True innovation requires space for experimentation – the occasional failure is necessary for meaningful breakthroughs," he argued. "Focusing purely on monetization undermines creative potential that ultimately drives commercial success."
Drawing from his Blizzard experience, Morhaime highlighted the value of iterative development: "Great games emerge from adaptation, not rigid planning. Our process embraces experimentation and fixing what doesn't work."
The key difference at Dreamhaven? Autonomy. "We empower studio leadership completely," Morhaime explained. "Our central team exists to support creative visions, not dictate them."
Regarding AI, Dreamhaven adopts a cautious approach. While researching potential applications, they currently avoid implementing the technology in game development. "As technologists, we're fascinated by AI's potential," Morhaime said, "but we're mindful of ethical complexities and can't predict its full societal impact."
When asked about Dreamhaven's vision five years later, Morhaime remained measured: "We must first deliver exceptional games and achieve commercial success before claiming beacon status. Ultimately, we want the Dreamhaven name to signify quality across genres – a brand players trust to deliver extraordinary experiences."
