After making a name at Ubisoft, Jade Raymond to open new EA studio

Jade Raymond, who led production on major triple-A franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, and Splinter Cell, is now opening a new Electronic Arts studio called Motive, she announced Monday.

Raymond’s next steps have been under wraps since she said in October 2014 she’d be leaving Ubisoft after several years. At Ubisoft, she was most recently managing director of Ubisoft Toronto.

Motive, based in Montreal, “will work in close quarters with the BioWare team,” Raymond said in an EA blog post. Motive will work on the upcoming BioWare game, Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Raymond added, “Motive will be a creative-driven team, incubating entirely new IP and taking on some amazing projects.”

On top of opening the new Montreal studio, Raymond will oversee California-based Visceral, which is working on a new Star Wars game helmed by creative director and former Naughty Dog game director Amy Hennig.

“An opportunity to work with her and the Visceral team, and to play in the Star Wars universe, is once-in-a-lifetime stuff,” Raymond said.