Jade Raymond launches a new Sony-backed indie studio
Raymond said she wants to focus on games 'without any barriers or impediments.'
Less than two months after her split with Stadia, Assassin's Creed co-creator Jade Raymond has announced on the PlayStation Blog that she's founded a new Montreal-based indie studio called Haven, which is "already hard at work on an unannounced IP."
Raymond joined Google in March 2019 to head up Stadia Games and Entertainment, its internal development studio, but departed less than two years later after the studio was closed. She alluded to that unexpected split in today's announcement, saying that some of the experiences she's had throughout her career "have been more successful than I could have ever imagined, and others less so."
Despite that, and a clear sense of unhappiness with her time at Google, she emphasized that she remains as committed as ever to making videogames—something she implied she wasn't able to fully focus on at Stadia.
"As I took stock of my career over the last few years and started to think about what to do next, I came to a very simple conclusion: I need to get back to what I love doing most, and do so in a way that gives our team the freedom to explore, inspire, and create," she wrote.
"Today I’m announcing Haven, an independent studio where many of the talented game developers I have worked with for years (and love dearly!) are coming together to do what we are most passionate about. It’s time for us to refocus on GAMES in a place where we can practice our crafts without any barriers or impediments."
Raymond's new studio is backed by Sony, and while her blog post doesn't state explicitly whether Haven's first project (or any thereafter) will be exclusive to PlayStation consoles, a separate press release described it as "an unannounced IP for PlayStation."
We could not be more hyped about collaborating with you @hermenhulst and the talented teams @PlayStation! https://t.co/YgFSlJBcZrMarch 16, 2021
"Sony Interactive Entertainment is proud to support and invest in Haven and its future," PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst said. "We understand the challenges and rewards of building creative teams from the ground up, as does Jade with her wealth of experience helming many of gaming’s biggest franchises. We’re confident in and excited for the bright future of Haven Studios and its first project, currently in development."
"While we don’t have many details to announce today, I want the PlayStation community to know that Haven Studios is already hard at work on an unannounced IP," Raymond wrote. "We can’t wait to show you more!"
There’s not much to see at this point, but you can keep your eyes on Haven’s website at havenstudios.com.