Mountaintop Studios Secures Seed Funding for New PvP Shooter

Mountaintop, a newly established game development studio comprised of industry veterans from prominent companies, has successfully raised $5.5 million in seed funding. This initial investment comes from contributions made by family and friends, and will be allocated towards the development of their inaugural game – a player-versus-player (PvP) shooter.

Studio Origins and Philosophy

The studio was founded last year, spearheaded by Nate Mitchell, a co-founder of Oculus, alongside other experienced professionals seeking independence. A key objective in establishing Mountaintop was to cultivate a work environment that avoids the often-reported issues of excessive crunch and workplace toxicity prevalent in larger gaming organizations.

Operating independently necessitates securing external funding. Mountaintop benefited from the financial support of their network, individuals confident in the team’s proven track record of success within the gaming industry.

Navigating the Competitive PvP Landscape

The $5.5 million seed round will directly fund the creation of their first title, a PvP shooter. This genre has seen both significant triumphs – such as Overwatch, PUBG, Fortnite, and Apex – and notable failures – including Crucible, Battleborn, Paragon, and Gigantic. Many unsuccessful attempts have been made to replicate the success of the leading titles.

However, Mountaintop’s smaller size and lack of external shareholder pressure suggest a reduced risk of falling into the trap of simply imitating existing games. The studio appears poised to pursue a unique vision, supported by their investors who are likely to offer constructive feedback rather than demanding returns.

A Focus on Sustainable Development

The prospect of a game developed in a healthy, crunch-free environment is particularly encouraging. The success of Supergiant’s “Hades” demonstrates that allowing developers the flexibility to work on projects they are passionate about can yield exceptional results.

As Mitchell stated, the company has expanded from an initial team of five to a current headcount of twenty. The studio’s remote-first approach, implemented before the pandemic, facilitated seamless hiring throughout the COVID-19 period without disrupting their operational plans.

Team Composition and Diversity Goals

Currently, Mountaintop’s team includes individuals with experience at Epic, Blizzard, Naughty Dog, Respawn, Infinity Ward, Ubisoft, Raven, Turtle Rock, Double Fine, PopCap, and Oculus.

Alongside talent acquisition, the studio prioritizes diversity and inclusion. Recognizing a current imbalance – with 19 of 20 employees being male and 18 of 20 being white – Mountaintop acknowledges the need for improvement.

“We’re just getting started, but we’re building a studio with diversity and inclusion at the core, where everyone feels like they belong. We have a long way to go, but we’re committed to seeing it through,” Mitchell explained. With a planned expansion to approximately 50 employees, the studio has ample opportunity to realize its diversity goals.

Looking Ahead

Further details regarding the game are currently unavailable. However, based on the studio’s current communication pattern, another update is anticipated this summer.