Industry veteran Leah Hoyer has officially announced the formation of her new indie studio, Level Headed Games—a developer built on decades of creative leadership and AAA experience. With a team composed of talent from Xbox, Bungie, Insomniac, and other major studios, Level Headed Games is setting out to redefine what makes cooperative online play both meaningful and fun.
Alongside the studio’s debut, Hoyer also revealed the team’s first project: an unannounced collaborative arena party game that originally began development under Wizards of the Coast.
The project first took shape during Hoyer’s time as GM and Vice President of Creative at Wizards of the Coast, where her team was building a new multiplayer experience designed to expand the company’s reach beyond its core franchises. When Wizards shuttered its new IP studio, the project’s future was uncertain—until Hoyer stepped in to secure its continuation.
“We knew we had something special,” said Hoyer, now CEO and Head of Creative at Level Headed Games. “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.”
After acquiring the rights, Hoyer founded Level Headed Games and joined the a16z Speedrun program, where the team focused on re-scoping and refining their vision.
“We were looking for ways to maintain the ‘big fun,’ but in a smaller corner of our universe,” Hoyer explained.
Now, the studio is shaping the game for Gen Z and multi-generational audiences, with an emphasis on accessibility, replayability, and social play. The project is currently in active development and is planned for a PC release in 2026, with additional platforms to be announced later.
“We’re grateful to Wizards of the Coast for allowing us to keep the project going,” Hoyer added. “We aren’t building our game the way we originally thought we would, but change is the one constant in this industry. We regrouped, made critical shifts to fit our new team size, and got back to work making something we’re really proud of.”
Hoyer’s career spans film, television, and games, having held key roles at Disney, Xbox, Telltale Games, and Bungie. Her credits include beloved projects such as Destiny 2, Minecraft, Halo, The Walking Dead, Lilo & Stitch, and Phineas & Ferb.
With Level Headed Games, Hoyer and her team are channeling that legacy into a new generation of collaborative play experiences—starting with a colorful, competitive arena party game built from passion, persistence, and a deep understanding of what makes multiplayer gaming click.