Industry veteran Leah Hoyer utilized her years of creative and leadership experience to create a new indie studio, Level Headed Games. Comprised of talented professionals with experience at Xbox, Bungie, Insomniac, and more, Level Headed Games aims to set a new standard for developing cooperative online gaming experiences.
Leah also teases the studio’s next title: an unannounced collaborative arena party game, previously developed under Wizards of the Coast.
The project began under Hoyer’s previous leadership role as GM and Vice President of Creative for Wizards of the Coast. Hoyer led the development of a multiplayer title that set out to expand Wizards’ market, but the work was halted under the closure of their new IP studio. To save the project, Hoyer brokered a deal with the company to own the work and its future release.
“We knew we had something special.
Early testing with players showed excellent promise, and the team was making rapid progress on a world we were passionate about. Good projects tend to flow, and this one was really flowing.”
Leah Hoyer, CEO & Head of Creative at Level Headed Games
Level Headed Games was formed and kicked off with participation in an a16z Speedrun. Early on, the team focused on significant re-scoping, with Hoyer recalling, “We were looking for ways to maintain the “big fun”, but in a smaller corner of our universe.”
Level Headed has been tailoring this new title to both Gen Z and multi-generational players, aiming to craft a widely accessible gaming experience. The team now preps for the title’s reveal and eventual PC release in 2026.
“We are grateful to Wizards of the Coast that we were able to keep the project going. We aren’t building our game the way we originally thought we would, but change is the one constant in the industry these days. We regrouped, made critical shifts to reflect the realities of our new team size, and got back to work making something that we are really proud of.”
Leah Hoyer, CEO & Head of Creative at Level Headed Games
Hoyer has had an accomplished career developing and producing television series, video games, and interactive experiences for some of the world’s most beloved brands. Her experience includes work at Disney, Xbox, Telltale Games, and Bungie, working on critically acclaimed titles like Destiny 2, Minecraft, Halo, Lilo & Stitch, Phineas & Ferb, The Walking Dead, and many more.
Visit the Level Headed website to participate in their Alpha community for regular playtest sessions.
