There are many similarities between Blizzard (WoW, Overwatch, Diablo) and Bungie (Destiny). Both had a glorious past until Activision came along. Both later faced criticism and in both companies, the long-standing leaders left. These two former leaders, Mike Morhaime and Harold Ryan, are now each building their own company with a new approach.
Blizzard and Bungie are two of the most well-known names in gaming, whose luster has faded somewhat in recent years. Now the former heads of the two companies are behind the most exciting startups in gaming in the last 5 years.
Who are the former heads?
- Mike Morhaime (52) was something like “the good soul of Blizzard.” He founded the company that later became Blizzard in 1991, led the studio for almost three decades, and stepped down as president and CEO of Blizzard in October 2018.
- Harold Ryan started at Bungie as a “Test Manager” before 2001, rose through the ranks over the years, until he became the head of Bungie in 2008. In January 2016, he left Bungie after more than 15 years without a grand farewell. Compared to Morhaime, Ryan is much more reserved when it comes to the public.
Why did they leave their jobs? It’s not quite clear. No one spoke openly about it. Morhaime’s departure was accompanied by pleasant words, while Ryan left Bungie quietly. Later Ryan said that the team was on a good path and for him, it was a good time to do something else. The kids were out of the house and he was considering what his future would look like (via venturebeat).
However, there are rumors and speculations: The major publisher Activision might have played a role in both heads leaving their respective paths. Because the financially strong publisher came on board with both companies and evidently changed the corporate culture:
- Activision merged with Blizzard in 2008
- the deal with Bungie for “10 years of Destiny” was concluded by Activision around 2012
Ryan left Bungie in 2016. Destiny was just undergoing a transformation. At that time, it was clear that Destiny 2 had to be rebooted, and that they would not be able to meet the tight schedule set by Activision Blizzard. Destiny 2 had to be postponed by a year, creating a gaping content gap that was particularly huge at the beginning of 2016.
The director of Destiny 2, CJ Cowan, left Bungie along with Harold Ryan and currently works at his company. Whether Ryan’s departure was connected to the reboot of Destiny 2 is unknown. Bungie is known for being chronically closed off – hardly any internal matters come to light.
Many believe that with Morhaime, he fled from the “growing influence” of Activision. They insisted that Blizzard finish its games and focus more on profit, according to insider reports.
Morhaime was seen as a bastion who upheld the old Blizzard, where quality was paramount and things came “when it’s done”, when it was ready, and not when the fiscal year dictated.
The “Indie-AAA Company” as a New Model
This is what the two are doing now:
Both are doing practically the same thing. They have founded a parent company that employs developer teams. Probably Monsters states that they want to develop AAA titles. Dreamhaven at least has developers with plenty of AAA experience on board.
It is a new kind of company: no longer a classic studio, but several independent development teams under one roof. The teams are then supposed to develop their own games:
- Harold Ryan founded “Probably Monsters” in 2016 – in a funding round, they raised $18.8 million in 2019. The studio in Issaquah, Washington has since grown to over 100 employees.
- Morhaime founded “Dreamhaven” a few weeks ago, together with his wife Amy Morhaime. It is reportedly self-financed, and they have 27 employees.
Both essentially opened companies that then have “in-house” studios associated with them. There are two differences:
- Morhaime’s Dreamhaven wants to publish the games themselves as a publisher. Here, they are taking a more conservative approach. Morhaime emphasizes the family atmosphere and that they want to be “unabridged” and show how they can treat the “gaming” business and players better than others do.
- At Probably Monsters, Harold Ryan’s 2 studios already have publishing contracts with “major external publishers”, as stated back in 2016 (via Businesswire). Ryan frequently talks about the “AAA” games that are being developed there, referring to the truly expensive blockbuster titles.
Leaders Bringing in Top Employees from the Past
Both rely on veterans they have previously worked with for their plans. Morhaime has brought in some top names from Blizzard to his team at “Dreamhaven” like Dustin Browder, the lead designer of StarCraft II and Heroes of the Storm, or Eric Dodds, the lead designer of Hearthstone.
These are all experienced individuals who have been “missing from Blizzard” for years. Dustin Browder had, for instance, worked on the canceled StarCraft shooter “Ares” and left after the project was canceled.
Blizzard admitted in October 2019 that 3 top individuals left – they are all now with Morhaime.
At “Probably Monsters”, Ryan’s project currently employs many who were previously at Bungie. For example, he has CJ Cowan, who was supposed to lead Destiny 2. Additionally, Jon Weisnewski, the longtime weapons chief is also involved.
What are they doing concretely?
- At Probably Monsters, they have 3 studios building “next-gen AAA franchises”. Recently, they brought on board the creators of Torchlight. It sounds like big online multiplayer games are being developed at Probably Monsters.
- Morhaime’s Dreamhaven has 2 studios that are supposed to develop their own games. Given the teams’ experience, it seems likely that online games will develop here as well.
So far, no project from the studios has been announced. The teams are still in the process of building and conception. What the studio heads say sounds exactly like what players want to hear.
Morhaime says: “We are trying almost to create a heaven for developers that values the product, is developer-friendly, and prioritizes the player experience over short-term financial gain.” (via venturebeat)
Ryan also has similar plans. The company is a mix of studio and publisher: a new kind of company for a new era. He emphasizes how important it is for developers to feel comfortable in the company, to feel trust, and to enjoy a safe environment.
Like a Big Publisher – Without the Downsides
This is the idea: When listening to the people who work at Dreamhaven, one thing comes out:
- They want to work with the financial resources they are used to from AAA studios, which can only a major publisher provide
- The artistic vision should be at the forefront. The game developers want artistic freedom without making compromises
The theme is very similar at Probably Monsters:
- they want to create an environment that has a culture like a “small studio” but then produces big games
- hence they rely on values like trust and respect for one another
One can be curious whether the new approach of Ryan and Morhaime can bring us the games we want in the future. Apparently, they want to build big, high-quality games while retaining the atmosphere of a “small team” where everyone knows each other and they ensure that everyone is doing well.
These seem to be exactly the criticisms that AAA developers have towards their employers: It’s only about profit and financial reports. The games and the visions behind them are losing focus.
Perhaps one of the “new projects” will be able to capture the magic of the past. We will probably have to wait a long time for Dreamhaven’s games, but those from Probably Monsters might not be so far off.
The cultural shift at Blizzard is something that has been talked about for years and became more evident in recent years with some incidents and departures. Open discussions about Blizzard’s condition are rarely held, but an insider report from January 2020 paints an intriguing picture of what is happening at Activision Blizzard:
New insider report sheds dark light on what is happening at Blizzard
