PlayStation maker Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) announced that it had purchased Canada-based Haven Entertainment Studios.
The price of the acquisition was not disclosed.
Haven Studios was launched just a year ago by Jade Raymond. Jay Raymond led the development team that developed some of the biggest franchises, such as Assassin’s Creed and Star Wars.
Haven Studios will be Sony’s first studio in Canada, and it will be led by Raymond, who formerly founded Ubisoft Toronto and Motive Studios (EA).
Haven is currently working on its first project. According to the studio, it will be a “new live service experience for PlayStation built upon a systemic and evolving world focused on delivering freedom, thrill, and playfulness.”
“Haven Studios is an emerging studio with an exceptional team of talent, and we’re delighted to welcome them into PlayStation as our first game development studio in Canada,” Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) president and CEO Jim Ryan said. “The studio’s focus on creating an original AAA multiplayer game will not only flex the power of PlayStation 5 but will further expand upon the diverse catalog of gaming experiences that can only be found on PlayStation.”
“Joining PlayStation Studios provides Haven with the creative freedom and unparalleled support to focus on building the highest quality games,” Raymond, who is Haven’s CEO and founder, writes in a press release. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from all of the exceptional PlayStation Studios teams. 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.”
Haven Studios is PlayStation Studios’ 18th studio. Despite the acquisition, the studio’s management team will manage day-to-day operations and work closely with the PlayStation Studios’ leadership team.
As per terms of the deal, Raymond and his team will answer to Hermen Hulst, the head of PlayStation Studios. Hulst said that it was a joy working closely with Haven’s team for the past year, and he’s excited about the studio’s growth and success with its first project.
PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst commented: “Jade has built a world-class team with the creative and technical prowess necessary to deliver on such an ambitious project. We value the studio’s dedication to building a player-first, collaborative game environment that can last for generations and are thrilled to have them officially become a part of PlayStation Studios.”
Sony’s acquisition of Haven is the latest in several prolific acquisitions that occurred at the beginning of the year.
Take-Two Interactive, the creator of Grand Theft Auto, announced in January that it was acquiring mobile gaming giant Zynga for almost $13 billion.
A week later, Microsoft revealed that it had acquired Activision Blizzard, the Overwatch, and Call of Duty developer for a whopping $68.7 billion. Meanwhile, Sony announced that it had purchased Bungie for $3.6 billion two weeks later.
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