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Ex-Blizzard leaders Jen Oneal and J. Allen Brack create startup studio Magic Soup Games
Ex-Blizzard Entertainment veterans Jen Oneal, J. Allen Brack, and John Donham teamed up to form a new game studio, Magic Soup Games.
venturebeat.com
Ex-Blizzard Entertainment veterans Jen Oneal, J. Allen Brack and John Donham announced today that they’ve teamed up to form a new game studio, Magic Soup Games.
The three co-founders each worked on and led companies behind some of the most recognized games and franchises in the world, including World of Warcraft, Star Wars, Tony Hawk, EverQuest, Diablo, Skylanders and many more. With Magic Soup, they’ll be drawing on decades of experience to build triple-A original games that are genuinely uplifting and inclusive for players around the world.
“J., John, and I have similar ideas about the types of games we want to make, and we’re tightly aligned on company goals and principles, so this was a natural fit for us,” said Magic Soup CEO and cofounder Jen Oneal, in a statement. “We know the quality of our games will be a reflection of our team culture. We’re doing the work up front to make sure we’re fostering creativity, fully remote collaboration and a diversity of backgrounds.”
The trio funded the new studio themselves in an effort to preserve creative independence. It is striking that they decided to work together and form a new studio at a time when economic doldrums have shaken the industry. And they each could have joined or led much bigger game development teams.
In an email Q&A with GamesBeat, Brack said, “My years at Blizzard were dominated with Blizzard games, so more recently there was a whole lot across the industry to catch up on. Playing games helped inspire me, and reignited my conviction in their potential for powerful positive impact on the world.”
He added, “And that’s where I find myself today – full of fire and energy to create something exceptional. I am even more committed to getting it right, from the start, at Magic Soup. And I’m grateful for Jen and John’s partnership in that vision.”
Meanwhile, Donham said in an email Q&A, “All three of us love to build, and there’s nothing more fulfilling and aspirational than building a new company from the ground up. We’re excited to create the games, vision and culture from the start and to handpick a team of professionals who share our values.”
