It’s slowly becoming increasingly common for former triple-A developers to form small studios. Whether they’re frustrated by the constraints of triple-A development or escaping rampant workplace abuse, everyone has their reasons for starting fresh. Following this trend, a new studio has been formed that promises to follow Diablo 2’s legacy.
Moon Beast Productions is a newly-formed company led by veterans of the original Diablo 2 release. Diablo 2 lead designer Peter Hu co-founded the studio with Phil Shenk, who established much of its lore in addition to acting as lead artist. The duo had previously left Blizzard in the early 2000s, moving onto other studios before returning together.
While Moon Beast Productions didn’t detail its debut title, Hu promised that fans of the developers’ action RPG roots wouldn’t be disappointed. However, they aren’t resting on tried and true design, seeing as Hu claimed the studio’s debut project would include, “a few big innovations with incredible potential.”
Perhaps motivated by their experience in the triple-A space, it was stressed that a positive work environment is important to Shenk and Hu. According to Shenk, “We’re just as passionate about building a nurturing healthy, supportive, collaborative team culture as we are about making games.”
