Publisher Dreamhaven and indie developer Kintsugiyama today announced a new game, a multiplayer survival game called The Legend of California. Set during the gold rush era, players can carve out their own lives on the frontier by hunting, crafting and building — and possibly gunslinging if they so desire. The game is set to launch in 2026 in early access.
The game is set on “the Island of California… your mission on this mythical island is not just to survive, but thrive.” Presumably this is based on the 16th-century cartological error that depicted the Californian territory as an island. Players can either hack it in the wilderness on their own or form a company with up to three others. The Steam page says the game has “persistent multiplayer servers” and an “an expansive, ever-changing open world.”
According to the developer’s website, Kintsugiyama has been working on The Legend of California for four years. It notes, “there’s still a ways to go, but we’re excited to start sharing the world we’re building with players.” It plans to launch a playtest for the game some time soon, and players can sign up to participate now from its Steam page.
Two names behind The Legend of California have a company in common. Dreamhaven’s CEO is Mike Morhaime, formerly the CEO of Blizzard; and Kintsugiyama is headed by Jeff Kaplan, formerly the game director of hit Blizzard game Overwatch. Morhaime left Blizzard along with wife Amy Morhaime in 2018, and founded Dreamhaven in 2020. Kaplan left Blizzard in 2021, and was succeeded by Aaron Keller.