CEO at Unleashed Games
Irena Pereira
Irena Pereira is a 25-year veteran of the game industry, known for her expertise in emergent gameplay, data-validated design, and AI-driven storytelling. As the founder of Unleashed Games, she is pioneering new ways to foster deep social connections in gaming through Haven: Forge Friendships to Save the World. With a background spanning AAA studios, indie innovation, and live-service development, Irena has a proven track record of delivering groundbreaking experiences that blend narrative depth with cutting-edge technology. Her passion for creating meaningful player interactions has driven her to explore new frontiers in procedural storytelling and multiplayer world-building, culminating in the vision behind Haven—a game where relationships are the key to saving the world. Beyond game development, Irena is a thought leader in interactive entertainment, content innovation, and AI-driven experiences, continuously pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in player-driven storytelling.
Questions & Answers
What's the story behind your company?
Unleashed Games was founded with the vision of creating immersive, emotionally resonant multiplayer experiences that break the mold of traditional online gaming. The studio was born out of a desire to craft living, breathing worlds where relationships—both between players and within the game’s narrative—take center stage. Our flagship game, Haven: Forge Friendships to Save the World, is designed as a social RPG that blends cooperative storytelling, dynamic world-building, and meaningful player connections to redefine the online multiplayer experience.
What inspired you to start your business?
For years, I’ve been passionate about creating experiences where players feel a deep connection—not just to the game world, but to each other. Many multiplayer games focus on competition and combat, but I wanted to build something that prioritizes collaboration, relationships, and emotional storytelling. The inspiration for Haven came from a mix of personal experiences, from tabletop RPGs where friendships deepen through storytelling to MMOs that provide a sense of belonging. I saw an opportunity to blend AI-driven emergent gameplay with narrative depth to create a game that fosters real friendships while delivering unforgettable adventures.
Why are you excited about your company/product?
Haven represents a new frontier for social gaming—where relationships drive the experience rather than just mechanics or combat. I’m excited because it’s not just a game; it’s a living, breathing world where players forge their own stories through dynamic interactions and AI-powered emergent gameplay. We’re also integrating Infinite Realms, an AI-driven platform that allows for procedural storytelling and living world generation, meaning players can shape their own unique experiences in ways never seen before.
What sets you apart from others in your industry?
AI-Driven Living Worlds – Most multiplayer games rely on static content, but Haven uses Infinite Realms to generate reactive, evolving worlds that respond to player actions. Narrative-First Multiplayer – Instead of just combat, our core mechanics revolve around storytelling, relationships, and cooperative world-building. Friendship as a Core Mechanic – We are one of the first studios designing around social bonds as a primary progression system, rewarding emotional engagement and trust between players. A New Take on Games as a Service – Rather than focusing solely on monetization, we’re exploring ways to make long-term engagement feel natural and meaningful through world evolution and collaborative storytelling.
Can you share a distinctive achievement or highlight from your career?
One of my proudest moments was leading data-validated content development at a major studio, where we transformed how player behavior insights shaped game design. The game that resulted was Monopoly Go!, that made $4bn within its first two years post launch. That experience directly informs Unleashed Games' approach to emergent gameplay and procedural storytelling. Additionally, my more than two decades in the industry—from AAA studios to indie experiments—have shaped my ability to balance innovation with commercial success, ensuring Haven is both groundbreaking and sustainable.
What's a memorable 'aha' moment you've had while building your startup?
One major ‘aha’ moment came during a weekly playtest of Haven, when we saw players naturally form deep bonds just by interacting in the world. We originally thought we needed to incentivize these relationships with mechanics, but we realized that friendship is a reward in itself. That moment validated our vision and led us to double down on emergent social storytelling—letting relationships unfold organically rather than being overly systematized.
What problem or opportunity inspired you to start your company, and how has your vision evolved since then?
The core problem we’re addressing is that most online multiplayer games prioritize mechanics over relationships. Many players seek meaningful connections in games, yet existing models often focus on competition or transactional social interactions. The opportunity was clear: build a game where friendship is the foundation—where the gameplay supports and enhances real connections rather than just being a backdrop. Our vision has evolved significantly as we’ve refined our AI-driven world-generation systems. Initially, Haven was more structured in its storytelling, but we realized that giving players the power to shape the world dynamically through their choices made the game infinitely more compelling. Now, our goal is to create a sandbox for social storytelling—where players feel like their relationships and actions genuinely matter.
How is your team uniquely positioned to solve the problem you're tackling?
Our team brings a rare combination of expertise in narrative-driven game design, procedural world generation, and AI-powered emergent gameplay. We have: Decades of AAA experience in RPGs, MMOs, and live-service games. A deep understanding of social dynamics in gaming, allowing us to design mechanics that foster genuine friendships. A strong technical foundation in AI and procedural content, ensuring we can create a world that truly evolves based on player choices. Most importantly, we’re building the game we’ve always wanted to play—one that goes beyond traditional multiplayer experiences to create something genuinely emotionally impactful and socially meaningful.
