Rich Barham, whose decade-long career in the game industry includes credits at Blizzard, Bethesda, and Riot Games, has opened new studio Octopus 8 along with designers Justin Parsler and Chris Cox.

On their website, Octopus 8 expresses a goal of not only making good games, but making those games with up-and-coming talent. Octopus 8 wants to foster the next generation of game designers by including them on projects so they can get experience and that integral first professional credit. It’s a noble mission, and as Parsler and Cox are game design lecturers at Brunel University, a fitting one.

Octopus 8 is currently working on a mobile game with release slated for 2014. Right now there’s only concept art up for it on their website, but that will probably expand within the coming months.