Rob Pardo is the former lead designer of World of Warcraft, but he’s since moved on from Blizzard. Now, he’s embarking on a new venture with Bonfire Studios, a new development studio with investments from Riot Games and other investors. Pardo is also joined by several other Blizzard veterans as well as Min Kim, best known for his work on MapleStory.
The company has something of a mission statement available now, explaining in broad terms that the goal is to mix the smaller teams and focus of indie studios with the reach and polish of triple-A design. No actual games have been announced yet, of course, although Hearthstone is cited as an inspiration; beyond that, everything is speculation.
