Frost Giant Studios has announced an advisory partnership with Irvine-based game company Dreamhaven and a licensing deal with Epic Games as it builds the next generation of RTS. The Orange County-based game studio was founded in 2020 by Blizzard veterans Tim Morten and Tim Campbell, who previously led development on titles such as StarCraft II and WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne.
Frost Giant Studios partners with Dreamhaven
Tim Morten, Chief Executive Officer at Frost Giant Studios, commented: “We are so fortunate to be able to work with the industry giants at Dreamhaven who were instrumental in creating the RTS legacy that inspired Frost Giant. Mike Morhaime has helped set a benchmark for real-time strategy games that has not been surpassed. He remains engaged with the genre and the community today, and his advice will be incredibly valuable as we work to bring real-time strategy (RTS) games to a broad audience.”
Dreamhaven was launched in September 2020 by Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime who serves as CEO, and his wife Amy Morhaime who runs operations. The Irvine-based game company is also home to many members of the original Blizzard RTS leadership team. Frost Giant Studios will leverage their expertise in areas such as product development, feedback in pre-production, and playtesting.
Licensing deal with Epic Games for engine
David Stelzer, Director of Business Development for Unreal Engine at Epic Games, added: “We couldn’t be happier to see Frost Giant putting Unreal Engine 5 through its paces as they build their next-generation RTS. It’s easy to imagine how UE5’s generational leap in technology and workflows will open up new possibilities for building worlds that are richer and more dynamic than ever before, with limitless possibilities when it comes to gameplay. We’re grateful to have this awesome team along for the journey with us right out of the gate as we launch UE5 in Early Access.”
With this announcement, Frost Giant Studios has also revealed a licensing deal with Epic Games with Unreal Engine 5 serving as the studio’s game engine. The game development studio aims to lower the barrier of entry into the RTS genre. In addition, other goals include improving upon co-operative gameplay, continuing the legacy of competitive esports, and empowering the growth of user-generated content.
“The team at Frost Giant helped build some of the best RTS games of all time,” added Mike Morhaime, CEO of Dreamhaven. “I can’t wait to see what they will build next.”
