Former Assassin’s Creed Jade Raymond, producer and EA manager, has announced the founding of a new independent studio in Montreal called Haven. It‘s first project will be a brand new IP being developed for PlayStation, she writes in a post over on the company’s blog.
“And today I announce Haven, an independent studio where many of the talented game developers I have worked with for years (and love very much!) Come together to do what we are most passionate about,” writes the game development veteran. . ‘Because we believe in the power of games to bring joy to people’s lives. And Sony too. Their commitment to excellence is unmatched. That’s why I could not be happier for their support and encouragement. ”
It’s unclear from the announcement whether Sony will finance the studio itself, or only the development of its first game, which Raymond calls “an unannounced new IP for PlayStation”. Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Raymond recentlyd first party game development at Google for its Stadia video game streaming platform. Last month, however, the company announced Raymond’s departure and its in-house studios would strike less than two years after it was first announced.
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“I am proud of the team we have built at Stadia Games and Entertainment, and the pioneering work on exclusive games for the platform,” she said. Kotaku at the time in a statement. “It was a difficult decision to seize a new opportunity, and I will be forever grateful to this team for everything we have learned and achieved together.”
Raymond started her work in the game industry The Sims Online for EA. Later she moved on around the Assassin’s Creed series at Ubisoft. In 2010, French publisher Raymond charged with leads the creation of a new studio in Toronto develop major budget games, including Splinter Cell by Tom Clancy: Blacklist. That studio, which Raymond left for EA in 2014, was one of the Ubisoft offices crushed by allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment last summer.
“We understand the challenges and benefits of building creative teams from the ground up, just like Jade with her vast experience helping many of the biggest franchises in the game,” said Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios. said in a press release today. “We are confident and excited for the bright future of Haven Studios and its first project currently under development.”