Biff! Pow! Zap! Former Hearthstone folks making Marvel game

The new studio founded by former Hearthstone folks including game director Ben Brode are working on a mysterious game with Marvel game. Second Dinner, as the studio are named, don't say anything about what the game is but it's probably a card game, no? They also announced that they've secured a big lump of investment from NetEase, the Chinese developers and publishers of many free-to-play PC and pocket telephone games (including the upcoming Blizzard collaboration Diablo Immortal). And most importantly, the studio have got an office and moved out of Brode's garage.

Second Dinner have netted $30 million (£23.7m) from NetEase's minority investment, which should keep the lights on while they work on their mysterious whatever.

"It's going to take us a while to make, but we're already having a lot of fun with the prototype," said Hamilton Chu, the CEO of Second Dinner CEO and former executive producer on Hearthstone, in the announcement.

Brode left Blizzard in 2018. All three of Brode and Chu's fellow co-founders all worked on Hearthstone during their time at Blizzard, and the announcement noted the studio's Hearthstone experience above all else, so I would guess a card game? Probably mobile and maybe PC? Dunno! Nexon launched their own mobile Marvel card game, Marvel Battle Lines, only a couple of months ago but it's not the friendliest of things. Not that Marvel have many qualms about flooding markets. Heyo!

"I've worked with Hamilton and Ben for years and they are exactly who we want making Marvel games," said Jay Ong, the head of Marvel Games. "They and the team they've assembled at Second Dinner have made some of the greatest games in history. And now, working with the Marvel Games team and playing in the Marvel Universe... It's going to be Amazing! Or maybe Spectacular! Or Incredible! Or Mighty! Or quite possibly all of the above!"

For those of you who don't know your Spider-Man from your Spiderman, I'll point out that Ong's string of adjectives drops heavy hints that Second Dinner's Marvel game will include Aquaman, Swamp Thing, Krypto, and Midnighter.

We'll see when it gets announced... at some point? For some electronic devices?

Image credit: DC Comics.