Drop Fake, a new studio helmed by former EA vice president Katherine de Leon, has raised $9 million to develop multiplayer social games that move people, starting with a cross-platform 4X strategy title for PC and mobile.
As reported by GamesBeat, the studio was established with the remit of championing authenticity and diversity in both its game projects and company culture.
The Drop Fake development team is currently spread out across the U.S. and Canada, and has previously worked on titles including EverQuest, Skate, Command & Conquer, and Marvel: Contest of Champions.
De Leon, who’s leading the company as CEO, expressed a desire to create stirring social experiences that put accessibility first, and explained that’s why the studio’s debut title will be a cross-platform, free-to-play project.
“For us, our strategy is that we are going to make a free game because access is very important to us. And we want to make a game that’s available to everyone, which is where cross-platform comes in. Fairness is a key pillar of our game design. And for us, that means that there’s a meaningful free experience that you cannot pay for power,” said de Leon.
“My passion is around galvanizing as many people as possible to experience the joys and the anger and the frustration and all of the emotions that come with really powerful multiplayer, social games.”