Sony Interactive Entertainment to Acquire Haven Entertainment Studios Inc.
PlayStation Studios Welcomes First Canadian-Based Game Development Team Creating New AAA Modern Multiplayer Game for PlayStation
SAN MATEO, Calif., March 21, 2022 – Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (“SIE”) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Haven Entertainment Studios Inc. (“Haven Studios”), a Montreal-based development studio formed by acclaimed developer Jade Raymond, founder of Ubisoft Toronto and Motive Studios and one of the creative forces behind the blockbuster Assassin’s Creed franchise.
Founded in March 2021 with an investment from SIE, Haven Studios is led by a premier team of game creators with over a decade of experience collaborating on some of the industry’s most popular games and franchises. Haven Studios is currently working on its first project, a new live service experience for PlayStation built upon a systemic and evolving world focused on delivering freedom, thrill, and playfulness.
“Haven Studios is an emerging studio with an exceptional team of talent, and we’re delighted to welcome them into PlayStation as our first game development studio in Canada,” said Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “The studio’s focus on creating an original AAA multiplayer game will not only flex the power of PlayStation 5 but will further expand upon the diverse catalog of gaming experiences that can only be found on PlayStation.”
“We’ve had the privilege of working closely with the team at Haven Studios over the past year and have been extremely impressed with its growth and progress on its first project,” said Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios. “Jade has built a world-class team with the creative and technical prowess necessary to deliver on such an ambitious project. We value the studio’s dedication to building a player-first, collaborative game environment that can last for generations and are thrilled to have them officially become a part of PlayStation Studios.”
“Joining PlayStation Studios provides Haven with the creative freedom and unparalleled support to focus on building the highest quality games,” said Jade Raymond, CEO & Founder, Haven Studios. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from all of the exceptional PlayStation Studios teams. We intend to fully embrace the incredible capabilities of the PS5 to create new worlds that inspire players and allow them to connect in new ways.”
With a team of over 60 employees and growing, Haven Studios will be the 18th studio to join the PlayStation Studios family. The day-to-day operations post-acquisition will continue to be run by the management team at Haven Studios in close collaboration with PlayStation Studios’ leadership team. Terms of this transaction including the acquisition cost are not disclosed due to contractual commitments.
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About Sony Interactive Entertainment
Recognized as a global leader in interactive and digital entertainment, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is responsible for the PlayStation® brand and family of products and services. PlayStation has delivered innovation to the market since the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994. The PlayStation family of products and services include PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation™Store, PlayStation®Plus, PlayStation™Now, and acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, SIE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and has global functions in California, London and Tokyo.
About Haven Entertainment Studios, Inc.
Haven Studios was founded by an experienced team of industry experts with a collective passion for creating exceptional games. Located in Montreal, one of the world’s premiere game development hubs, the studio is built around the core values of kindness, adaptability, and courage to make space for creative excellence. The team is composed of seasoned developers from across the industry who have worked on some of the most successful and beloved game franchises, including The Sims, Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow 6: Siege, Tomb Raider, and Star Wars Battlefront. With decades of experience delivering exceptional interactive experiences, the studio is creating a live service experience built upon a systemic and evolving world that will offer freedom, thrill, and playfulness to players for generations to come.
About Jade Raymond
Jade Raymond is the CEO and Founder of www.HavenStudios.com. Raymond has been passionate about games since her childhood in Montréal. She joined the industry as a programmer and has since focused on bringing innovation, new mechanics and gameplay to action-adventure and online multiplayer games. Over the last 25 years, she has shown her passion for all aspects of game development, playing key roles in programming, design, production, studio-head, and executive jobs. She is best known for helping create the Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs franchises, and for founding the Ubisoft Toronto studio, which developed blockbuster titles like Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist under her direction.
Most recently, Raymond served as VP for Google’s Stadia Games and Entertainment. Before joining Google, she was SVP and Group General Manager at Electronic Arts’ PopCap Vancouver and Motive Studios (Montréal), which she founded in 2015. Raymond was also responsible for the Star Wars console and PC software portfolio across EA.
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