Moon Beast Productions announced a $4.5 million seed round in December 2024, led by 1AM Gaming. The studio said it would use the funding to expand its team and develop its debut game, later revealed as the action RPG Darkhaven. The round and the game’s later Kickstarter campaign were separate financing events.
Who invested in Moon Beast Productions?
GameDeveloper and GamesBeat reported that 1AM Gaming led the seed round. The reported participants included 1UP Ventures, The Mini Fund, Overwolf, Versus Ventures, and angel investors Gaingels, Cohh Carnage, and Mark Pincus. These are investors named in coverage of the announcement, not a current financing database.
The same coverage identifies founders Phil Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer as veterans of Diablo and Diablo II. Moon Beast said the proceeds would help it grow its team and finance its debut project; the announcement does not establish a runway, current headcount, or any subsequent financing.
What game is Moon Beast making?
The debut project was later revealed as Darkhaven, a dark-fantasy isometric action RPG. Its Steam listing describes a procedurally generated, fully destructible open world. Those are the game’s listed features, not independently verified performance or gameplay outcomes.
#1 Best Overall
- EPIC COOPERATIVE ADVENTURE: Team up with up to 4 players for a fully cooperative campaign set in the award-winning Gloomhaven fantasty universe
- STANDALONE GLOOMHAVEN EXPERIENCE: Jump into the world and playstyle of Gloomhaven without needed the original game. This stand-alone experience has everything you need to play in one box.
- 4 UNIQUE MERCENARIES: Choose from four new and unique mercenaries, created and introduced to the Gloomhaven universe in Jaws of the Lion.
- DESIGNED FOR EASIER LEARNING: Features a dedicated 5-scenario tutorial that will introduce the rules step-by-step as you play, so you can learn as you play. Also includes links to a complete professional video series that you can use with the 5-scenario tutorial.
- TACTICAL CARD-DRIVEN COMBAT: Plan every move using Gloomhaven's unique card-drive combat system, where choosing the right cards at the right time is what makes the difference, not a dice roll.
How much did Darkhaven raise on Kickstarter?
The studio opened its Kickstarter campaign alongside a public pre-alpha demo on February 16, 2026. The campaign ran through March 21, 2026, and closed with $532,412 pledged by 5,150 backers, exceeding its $500,000 goal. That crowdfunding total is distinct from Moon Beast’s 2024 seed round: one was an announced investment round, the other a later campaign funded by backers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Darkhaven released, and when is it coming?
As of October 8, 2026, Steam lists Darkhaven as “Coming soon” and says it is not yet available; the listing has no user reviews. The studio’s Kickstarter FAQ gives no firm release date. It says the plan is an initial Early Access launch on Windows through Steam when the game offers a fulfilling experience. Other platforms are possible later, but the studio says that depends on several factors; console releases and a specific Early Access date are not confirmed.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The Gaping Dragon Expansion adds new encounter cards which provide larger battles than ever before in Dark Souls: The Board Game
- Your fate has led you to the winding corridors of the flooded and labyrinthine Depths, distant from the light of the sun.
- Here you find the Gaping Dragon, an abomination hideously transformed by its ravenous hunger
- The tremendous scale of these encounters creates a whole new level of peril to you and your party. Are you up to the challenge?
- Gaping Dragon, Mega Boss Game Board, 4x Level 4 Encounter Cards, 15x Boss Behaviour and Data Cards, 2x Boss Treasure Cards Gaping Dragon Boss Dial, 4x Corrosion Tokens, Rules Leaflet
Rank #4
- Package Dimensions: 30.5 H x 8.9 L x 24.4 W (centimetres)
- Number of players: 1-4
- Package Weight: 0.615 kilograms
- Country of Origin : China
Rank #3
- EPIC COOPERATIVE CAMPAIGN: Gather up to 4 players and embark on a massive adventure filled with dangerous battles, challenging scenarioes, and meaningful choices that will shape the outpost of Frosthaven.
- STRATEGIC TACTICAL COMBAT: Every turn matters in Frosthaven. Coordinate with your team mates and manage your hand of ability cards to overcome the challenges and fights that you'll face in the great north.
- DEEP CHARACTER PROGRESSION: Discover over 17 unique mercenary classes with their own playstyles to explore with throughout your campaign. Develop your characters and unlock new abilities and story plots as you play.
- BUILD AND DEVELOP FROSTHAVEN: Grow and restore the remote outpost of Frosthaven by gather resources, crafting, unlocking buildings, and making decisions that will effect the settlement's future.
- MASSIVE ADVENTURE FOR YOUR GAME GROUP: With over 130 sessions in the campaign, Frosthaven delivers hundreds of hours of cooperative tabletop gameplay, exploration, combat, discovery and more.
Rank #2
- Award-winning base game in the Gloomhaven universe that includes everything you need to have 90+ thematic roleplaying sessions with tactical combat.
- Play together with up to 4 players or tackle the campaign alone as a solo mercenary. Decide and shape how your character grows and their story progresses.
- No GM or Gamemaster needed! Everyone is a player and there's no homework before game sessions. Turn to your next scenario and start playing immediately.
- Includes miniature figures for each character and detailed standees for all monsters and creatures in the game. Use the immersive map tiles and tokens included to get a real feel of the fight.
- Unique card based fighting system that allows you to have more control over your choices each round than just dice would allow.
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