In February, Jade Raymond departed Google, leaving behind the company and its studio she helped found. Google was shutting down Stadia's in-house game development efforts, but Raymond's plans for game development didn't end there. A month later and Raymond announced a new studio, Haven Entertainment Studios, funded by Sony to make an original IP. Details about Haven's PlayStation-exclusive project continue to be drip-fed each month, including details about its recruitment of Assassin's Creed veterans and certain new gameplay elements.

Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Raymond broke down some of the employees already hired to bring Haven's first game to life. Namely, she mentions key veterans from the Assassin's Creed franchise. This includes Raphael Lacoste, the franchise's art director through July 2021, as Haven's artistic director, writer Corey May as Haven's world director, AI programmer and gameplay lead Pierre-Francois Sapinski as Haven's head of production, and others further down the hierarchy. Then there's Raymond herself, who was a producer for the original Assassin's Creed and stayed with the franchise through 2014.

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All in all, Haven has grown to over 50 developers since its founding in March. Its team is made up not just of Assassin's Creed Veterans, but also teammates from other Ubisoft properties like Rainbow Six Siege and Watch Dogs. Raymond's also previously discussed bringing over talent from Google following the closure of the Stadia team, which is part of why the studio is named Haven.

haven motto

In talking about Haven, Raymond also revealed some details about the studio's goals looking toward its first project. Raymond notes that she sees three things that are "really exciting" that also make up pillars for Haven's approach to game development. Those pillars are "Games as a Social Platform," "Remix Generation" which implies how young people are more creatively involved and connected than ever before, and "Self-Expression" in a way that goes beyond user-generated content.

Characterizing these thoughts, Raymond describes a game concept that not only has depth but is also "designed to be owned by the fans from the start." She notes how Assassin's Creed was designed to be "owned" by future creative teams. Haven's IP will be designed to be owned not just by its developers but also by fans.

That's what Haven ultimately is. It's a group of friends who have worked together for years putting together a genuinely creative project. That seems like a rather special arrangement. Fans will just have to be patient to see what Haven puts together.

MORE: Every Jade Raymond Game Before the New Haven Studio's PlayStation Exclusive

Source: GamesIndustry.biz