Jade Raymond's new studio, Haven, is now part of Sony's first-party PlayStation Studios.
PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst announced the acquisition of Haven in a PlayStation blog post. Hulst notes that PlayStation has been working with Haven since early 2021, when the Montreal-based company debuted as a new independent group, and the two are now more actively collaborating on its first game: an original, PlayStation-exclusive IP described as "a modern multiplayer experience."
In a statement on the acquisition, Raymond, best known for her formative work as co-creator on Ubisoft franchises like Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs, highlighted Haven's "vision to build a systemic and evolving world focused on freedom, thrill, and playfulness that will keep players entertained and engaged for years."
The specifics of this mystery game remain to be seen, but these descriptions support rumors from last year claiming that Haven is working on a live service PlayStation game. This follows Sony and PlayStation's push to add more multiplayer and live service titles to their stable, which was also a focal point of the company's $3.6 billion acquisition of Destiny 2 developer Bungie. Sony hopes to have 10 new PS5 multiplayer games ready by 2026, and it seems Haven's breakout title is among them.
The still-growing team at Haven will be led by its existing management team "in close collaboration" with PlayStation Studios, according to an accompanying press release. Raymond stressed that "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," echoing comments from a recent interview about pushing the PS5 to its limits.
How purchases like these will help PlayStation improve the weakest part of its portfolio.
