Dishonored Creator Harvey Smith Launches New Immersive Sim Studio
Veteran game designer Harvey Smith, known for his work on the Dishonored series and the original Deus Ex, has officially announced a new studio called Black Pony Immersive. Per IGN, the studio will focus exclusively on single-player, narrative-driven immersive sims, the genre Smith helped pioneer.
Smith told IGN he is joined by longtime Arkane collaborators Ricardo Bare and Ben Horne. He described the team as being "on fire" for creating the kind of games they are most passionate about. The studio has been quietly operating for a year and currently has 26 staff members, according to a separate report from VGC.
In an interview with The Game Business, Ben Horne explained the studio's philosophy. He stated they are not interested in chasing industry trends, but will instead rally around a creative vision that excites both the developers and a known audience. Smith echoed this sentiment, recalling advice from executives over the years that he often found to be wrong.
The announcement comes after Microsoft's closure of Arkane Austin in 2024, where Smith last worked. When asked about lessons learned, Smith told IGN he would feel "lucky in the extreme" if his new studio could match Arkane's legacy of creating beloved games and being a great place to work.
Smith expressed unwavering dedication to the immersive sim genre, telling IGN, "Always. Until I am dead." He also listed several upcoming games he's excited for, including Judas, Marvel's Blade, and Gloomwood. The studio promises to reveal more about its first project soon.
