PlayStation Acquire's First Canadian Studio in Montréal-based Haven

March 21, 2022 Stephan Reilly

Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst announced in a post on PlayStation.Blog that Montréal-based Haven studio would be officially joining PlayStation Studios- making it the first Canadian PlayStation Studio.

There was a partnership announced between PlayStation and Haven when the studio’s formation was announced a year ago this month, also in a post on PlayStation.Blog.

The studio is led by Jade Raymond, a much-beleaguered game producer-turned-director-turned-person-in-charge-of-a-lot-of-Battlefront-II’s-problems who hasn’t been able to get a project shipped anywhere she’s worked since Battlefront II.

Their new game is described as a “AAA multiplayer experience” which could potentially harness Raymond’s history with micro-monetizing AAA-priced games from her time at Ubisoft and EA.

Raymond provided the following statement on the acquisition in the PlayStation.Blog announcement:

One year ago this month, we embarked on a journey to start Haven Studios with a small team and big ambitions. Our goal was to build a studio where we could make the kind of games we’ve always wanted to create – and games we’ve longed to play! We’ve made amazing progress in a short time thanks to our talented, passionate team and their exceptional contributions. We established a culture at Haven grounded in kindness, adaptability and courage that unlocks creativity. Our first new IP for PlayStation is on track to deliver a AAA multiplayer experience with a vision to build a systemic and evolving world focused on freedom, thrill, and playfulness that will keep players entertained and engaged for years. Today, the Haven team begins a new phase of our journey, as part of the PlayStation Studios family. Working with Hermen, Connie Booth and the team at PlayStation over the past year has been a career highlight. SIE is a supportive partner that truly understands the creative process and what it takes to make a blockbuster AAA game. They have empowered and encouraged us to bring our bold vision to life and make our dreams come true and we could not be more thrilled about this opportunity to strengthen our partnership. As a SIE first-party studio, we will have the opportunity to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned development teams, including studios like Guerrilla, Naughty Dog, Media Molecule, and Insomniac Games, the creators of games that have inspired us as players and developers for years. We’re excited to learn from these world-class studios, as well as the exceptional central creative, technology and marketing teams whose expertise will enable us to deliver even better games to players. To our Haven team – a huge thank you. It’s been one of the most rewarding years of my career – and to the players out there, we can’t wait to share more. We’re just at the beginning of what is sure to be a wondrous adventure that will span generations.

Jade Raymond CEO and Founder, Haven Studios