Former Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime Starts New Game Company, Dreamhaven

Mike Morhaime, co-founder and former CEO of Blizzard Entertainment, has founded a video game company, Dreamhaven. Based in Irvine, California, the company will specialize in publishing games and currently has two studios under its belt: Moonshot Games and Secret Door. The two studios are currently working on “new undisclosed game concepts,” with Moonshot working on larger projects, while Secret Door will be producing smaller, more intimate games.

Morhaime will act as Dreamhaven’s CEO, while his wife Amy will be Head of Operations. In an interview with The Washington Post, Morhaime wanted to assure fans that he “retaining control of the company this time, but he doesn’t just want to make money.”

“We’ve learned a ton about what goes into creating an environment that allows creators to do their best work, and we were very successful doing that for many years at Blizzard,” Morhaime said in a Friday interview. “We reached a crossroads where we reassessed what we want to do with the rest of our lives.”

Working for Dreamhaven includes over 27 former employees and developers who worked for Blizzard and have worked on games, including Hearthstone, StarCraft II, World of Warcraft, Warcraft III and Heroes of the Storm.

Ultimately, Morhaime hopes that Dreamhaven is a shining beacon in an industry that has become notorious for cynical business practices. “We want to make a positive dent on the world,” Morhaime said. “It’s about human connection. How do you elevate the human connection and interaction through digital experience? We think that gaming and the global community of gamers can be a force for good. Dreamhaven is hopefully like a beacon to the rest of the industry. Maybe we can lead by example and show that there’s a better way of doing things and approaching the business of games and treating your employees and treating your players.”

Morhaime founded Blizzard Entertainment in 1991 with Allen Adham and Frank Pearce. He continued working at Blizzard until stepping down as CEO in 2018.