Haven Studios

**Haven Entertainment Studios Inc.** (doing business as **Haven Studios** and also referred to as simply as **Haven**) is a Canadian game development studio based in Montreal, Quebec. It was founded in March 2021 by video game producer Jade Raymond, and was acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment the following year. It is part of Sony's PlayStation Studios.

Haven Studios was founded by Raymond following the closure of Google's in-house game development teams in February 2021, and it comprises of former employees of Google's Stadia initiative as well as Ubisoft. The studio's debut title is to be *Fairgames*, a competitive heist game for PlayStation 5 and PC. In addition to its work as a primary developer, Haven also provides technical support to other live-service titles such as Firewalk Studios's *Concord*.

## History

### 2019 - 2022: Background and founding

In March 2019, video game producer Jade Raymond - previously responsible for the creation of several studios such as Ubisoft Toronto and Motive Studios - announced that she would join Google to heas the company's studios and partners on development for Google's Cloud-based platform Stadia. Google shattered its plans for Stadia in early 2021, which followed with Raymond's departure from the company in February 2021.

During her time at Google, Raymond and members of her team considered continuing their work as a new studio while Stadia struggled to take off. Google executives were supportive of Raymond's plans and allowed her to work on a "high-level" pitch and present it to potential funders. Among potential partners was Sony Interactive Entertainment, which took immediate interest in Raymond's pitch. Haven Interactive Studios was formally founded in March 2021, and Sony announced the partnership with Raymond and her team the same month. According to the studio, the name Haven was chosen because its games "will serve as havens for players" and will treat its employees with "transparency and mutual respect".

In February 2022, co-founder and chief operating officer Sebastien Puel departed the studio.

### 2022 - current: Sony acquisition and *Fairgames*

In March 2023, Sony announced that it will acquire Haven Studios for an undisclosed sum, in an effort to bolster the publisher's push for live-service titles. In addition, Haven will provide technical support for other live-service titles within PlayStation, such as Firewalk Studios's *Concord*. Following the acquisition, Haven became Sony's first development team in Canada. At the time, Haven increased its headcount to over 60 employees. The acquisition was formally closed in July 2023.

In May 2023, Haven and Sony announced the former's debut title, *Fairgames*.

## References

1. ↑ "Haven Studios is a new independent studio based in Montreal, Canada. It already boasts 54 employees, primarily made up of former staff from Google, and was co-founded by many of the original Assassin's Creed team."
Assassin's Creed, Stadia and kindness: Introducing Jade Raymond's Haven Studio, GamesIndustry.Biz. Dring, Christopher.
2. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/jade-raymonds-haven-studio-is-already-inspiring-other-playstation-studios-and-not-just-with-its-game
3. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/jade-raymond-appointed-new-vp-of-google
4. ↑ https://blog.google/products/stadia/focusing-on-stadias-future-as-a-platform-and-winding-down-sge/
5. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/assassins-creed-stadia-and-kindness-introducing-jade-raymonds-haven-studio
6. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2021/03/16/introducing-haven-a-new-montreal-based-independent-studio/
7. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playstation-invests-in-jade-raymonds-new-independent-studio-haven
8. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sebastien-puel-leaves-haven-studios
9. ↑ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220321005315/en/Sony-Interactive-Entertainment-To-Acquire-Haven-Entertainment-Studios-Inc.
10. ↑ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230420005272/en/Sony-Interactive-Entertainment-to-Acquire-Firewalk-Studios-from-ProbablyMonsters-Inc
11. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playstation-to-buy-jade-raymonds-haven-studios-sonys-first-developer-in-canada
12. ↑ https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/sony-has-completed-its-purchase-of-haven-studios
13. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2023/05/24/introducing-fairgame-a-competitive-heist-experience-coming-to-ps5-and-pc/