A New Studio from a Genre Veteran

Harvey Smith, the veteran developer behind influential immersive sims, has announced the launch of a new studio, Black Pony Immersive. Smith, who served as lead designer on the original Deus Ex and co-directed Dishonored before serving as creative director on Dishonored 2, is teaming up with longtime collaborator Ben Horne. The announcement, made on Wednesday, was revealed through a press release, as reported by Polygon and AltChar.

According to AltChar, Smith told IGN the studio plans to "make single-player first-person action RPGs set in these rich worlds where players are empowered to solve problems however they want." Smith also stated in a press release, quoted by both Polygon and Engadget: "During a time of industry volatility, I'm proud to announce the next step in my video game journey with the reveal of our new studio."

Black Pony Immersive is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with remote workers across the US, and is already hiring developers nationwide. Smith will serve as CEO and Creative Director, with Horne as COO and Executive Producer.

A Team Built on Decades of Experience

Horne worked with Smith for eight years at Arkane Austin, most recently as production director on Redfall. Also joining as design director is Ricardo Bare, who previously served as creative director on Redfall, Prey, and Dishonored, as reported by Engadget and Polygon. The studio's team includes veterans from Insomniac, Epic, Avalanche, and Volition, with collective credits on Deus Ex, Dishonored, Prey, and Just Cause, according to multiple reports.

"This group has worked together for years, decades in some cases, and is purpose-built to make the ambitious games we love — immersive sims," Horne said in a statement quoted by Polygon.

Context: The Industry and Arkane's Closure

Smith and Horne's previous studio, Arkane Austin, was shut down by Microsoft in 2024 during a corporate restructuring, as reported by AltChar and Polygon. Engadget noted that the announcement of Black Pony comes during a "tumultuous summer" for the video game industry, with layoffs and studio shakeups at Xbox. Engadget also mentioned that Xbox is considering shutting down Arkane Studios and canceling its Blade game, but the team's fate "remains in the hands of French authorities."

The new studio's founding also comes the same week as Warren Spector announced his retirement from making video games, a developer Smith worked with on Deus Ex, as reported by Engadget and Polygon. Polygon also noted that Dishonored grew out of Arkane's unsuccessful attempts to develop Thief and Blade Runner games, adding context to the team's legacy.

What's Next for Black Pony

But as of the announcement, Black Pony Immersive hasn't revealed its first game yet, as Polygon reported. However, the studio's focus is clear: narrative-rich first-person action RPGs, or immersive sims, centered on player choice, emergent systems, and rich original worlds. The studio's website closes with the line "Through the looking glass, we're chasing a dream of mystery, meaning, and creative play," as noted by Engadget.

As reported by Engadget, industry onlookers may feel there's a "Black Pony Immersive-sized hole" in the industry right now, but with a team of genre veterans, the new studio is positioned to fill it.

Perspectives

  • Harvey Smith: Expresses pride and optimism about the studio, emphasizing the goal of building the kind of single-player games the team is passionate about, despite industry volatility.
  • Video Game Industry Context: The announcement is described by Engadget as coming at an opportune time, given the recent devastation of layoffs and studio closures in the industry, suggesting a positive development for fans and developers.