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Sony has officially completed the process of acquiring Haven Media, adding Jade Raymond-led studios to PlayStation's first-party roster.
There has been an ongoing acquisition war in recent years, of which Sony has also been a part. Some of the biggest corporations like Microsoft Gaming’s Xbox, Embracer Group, and of course Sony, have been acquiring game development studios big and small to expand their first-party offerings.
In the last couple of years, Sony has acquired multiple studios. From long-time collaborators like BluePoint Games and Housemarque to smaller support studios like Nixxes Software, Valkyrie Entertainment, and Firesprite.
Along with Bungie - the creator of Halo, and Destiny - Sony drastically expanded its list of studios last year. Haven Media is the latest studio to join the publisher as a first-party developer.
Jade Raymond-led Haven Media will collaborate with PlayStation's other first-party studios
While Haven Media doesn’t have any games under its portfolio, having formed last year itself, it does bring a lot of promise for the future. The Montreal, Canada-based studio is led by Jade Raymond, who created multiple well-known franchises during her time at Ubisoft.
She took on a Producer role during the development of the first two Assassin’s Creed titles, which set the precedent for Ubisoft’s flagship franchise. She also took on an Executive Producer role for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and Watch Dogs, as well as a Managing Director role for Assassin’s Creed Unity and Far Cry 4.
After leaving Google’s Stadia Games and Entertainment division in early 2021, she formed Haven Media to create original IPs for PlayStation, following which the studio has been acquired a year later.
PlayStation officially announced the news of the acquisition, and it was completed today. Over time, the studio has grown from 50 developers to about 106, and has been working on upcoming titles. They have become leaders in cloud tech development and in R&D, working in close collaboration with other PlayStation Studios.
During the Unreal Engine 5 reveal showcase, the studio was confirmed to be one of the many that are currently working with the latest and greatest UE5 for the PS5. They are also working in close collaboration with Mark Cerny, the lead developer of both the PS4 and PS5.
Aside from a technical aspect, the studio is also encouraging a hybrid work culture, with developers collaborating via cloud from the comfort of their homes.
All in all, while Haven Media might not have any flagship title to show for it, its development of technology rooted in the future will certainly be impactful in the future of gaming.
