David Brevik and Bill Wang open game publisher Skystone

Gaming industry vets David Brevik and Bill Wang have started a new publishing studio, Skystone, that seeks to mentor young developers. The company is already working with two games: the zombie-themed Undying and the cooperative, non-violent roguelike Spaceline Crew.

Combined, Brevik and Wang have over 40 years of experience in gaming. Brevik was the cofounder and president of Blizzard North, which created the monumental action role-playing game Diablo. He was also CEO of Marvel Heroes studio Gazillion Entertainment.

Wang helped to bring hit PC games to China, like Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. He was also the vice president and general manager for Perfect World Entertainment.

“We’ve known each other for more than 12 years and worked together several times in the past,” Wang told GamesBeat. “We trust each other and we have complementary skill sets to provide valuable services for new companies. That’s how Skystone Games was born.”

Publisher and mentor

Skystone isn’t looking to just publish games, but to help younger studios and give them advice based on their years of experience.

“I think that we’re not just a regular publisher that’s going to throw money at a studio and hope for the best,” Brevik told GamesBeat. “We know the industry well, and we’re going to work closely with developers to make sure everyone succeeds.”

And Skystone isn’t scared to start a new publisher in today’s world, which has been ravaged by the pandemic.

“I can see Skystone being a great company to start in this kind of environment,” Wang told GamesBeat. “Many publishers and investors are hesitant to make investments in studios and games. We’re ready to move forward based on the links we’ve been able to make with talent. The pandemic doesn’t matter.”

Both Undying and Spaceline Crew will release in the “near future.”