Harvey Smith, the legendary game designer who spent over 16 years at Arkane Studios and helped define the immersive sim genre, has officially announced the formation of a new independent studio called Black Pony Immersive. The announcement marks an exciting new chapter for Smith, who departed Arkane in 2024 following the studio’s tumultuous period that included the closure of its Austin branch. Joining Smith as co-founder is Ben Horne, an executive producer who collaborated with Smith for more than eight years, including on the ill-fated vampire shooter Redfall. The new studio is founded with a clear mission: to continue crafting the deeply interactive, player-driven experiences that have become Smith’s signature throughout his remarkable 30-year career in the gaming industry.
The immersive sim subgenre represents one of gaming’s most distinctive and beloved categories, characterized by player agency, interconnected game systems, and emergent gameplay moments that create unique experiences for each individual player. These games typically offer multiple solutions to problems, reward exploration and curiosity, and create simulated worlds where player actions have meaningful consequences. It’s a genre that has consistently produced some of the most critically acclaimed titles in gaming history, from the original System Shock to the recent Prey remake, and Smith has been at the forefront of this movement for decades.
A Legacy Built on Player Choice and Innovation
Harvey Smith’s contributions to the immersive sim genre cannot be overstated. While he is perhaps most widely recognized for his role as co-creative director on 2012’s Dishonored and creative director on 2016’s Dishonored 2, his influence extends much further back in gaming history. Smith served as lead game designer on 2000’s Deus Ex, widely considered one of the most influential video games ever made. That title revolutionized how players could approach objectives, offering stealth, combat, hacking, and social manipulation as equally viable paths through its cyberpunk world. The game’s impact continues to resonate through the industry today, influencing everything from role-playing games to first-person shooters.
Before his work on Deus Ex, Smith cut his teeth in the industry working on quality assurance for landmark titles including System Shock and Ultima VIII: Pagan at Origin Systems. This foundational experience with groundbreaking games clearly shaped his design philosophy. He also contributed to 2017’s Prey, Arkane’s spiritual successor to System Shock that earned widespread critical praise for its intricate space station setting and creative problem-solving opportunities. The Dishonored series, meanwhile, sold millions of copies worldwide and established Arkane Austin as one of the premier development studios for single-player, narrative-driven experiences with deep gameplay systems.
Building a Team of Industry Veterans
At Black Pony Immersive, Smith assumes the dual roles of CEO and creative director, while Horne takes on responsibilities as COO and executive producer. “During a time of industry volatility, I’m proud to announce the next step in my video game journey with the reveal of a new studio,” Smith stated in the official press release. “This effort reflects everything we’ve learned, and all we hold dear. My favorite gaming memories come from seeing players approach challenges with creativity, deep-diving into our world building. We try to reward players for their curiosity and exploration. At our new studio, we’re building exactly the kind of single-player games we’re most passionate about.”
Though Smith and Horne are based in Austin, Texas, the studio operates with a distributed workforce model, employing remote veteran talent from across the United States. The team includes experienced developers who previously worked at prestigious studios including Arkane Studios, Insomniac Games, Epic Games, Avalanche Studios, and Volition. Notably, the roster includes Richard Bare, a longtime collaborator who worked alongside Smith for over 15 years at Arkane and contributed to Deus Ex. This wealth of collective experience suggests Black Pony Immersive is positioning itself to compete at the highest levels of game development despite being a newly formed independent studio.
A New Hope for Immersive Sim Enthusiasts
“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 explained. “We share a vision for crafting games that push the limits of player immersion. We can’t wait to reveal more soon.” The announcement comes at a particularly meaningful time for fans of the genre, as the gaming industry has seen numerous studio closures and layoffs in recent years, including the shuttering of Arkane Austin itself in May 2024. That closure, which came despite the studio’s strong track record with Dishonored and Prey, sent shockwaves through the gaming community and left many wondering about the future of the immersive sim genre.
While specific details about Black Pony Immersive’s debut project remain under wraps, the studio’s explicit commitment to the immersive sim genre offers considerable reassurance to fans who feared Smith’s departure from Arkane might signal the end of an era. The gaming landscape has evolved significantly since Deus Ex first demonstrated what was possible when players were given true agency within carefully crafted worlds, but the core appeal of immersive sims – the sense of being dropped into a living, breathing environment where your choices genuinely matter – remains as compelling as ever. With Smith at the helm of his own studio, surrounded by trusted collaborators who share his vision, the future of the genre appears brighter than many had feared. Fans eager to follow the studio’s progress can find more information on Black Pony Immersive’s official website as the team prepares to reveal their ambitious plans.
Expert Opinion: The formation of Black Pony Immersive represents a significant moment for the immersive sim genre, which has struggled to maintain momentum in an industry increasingly focused on live-service models and multiplayer experiences. Smith’s track record and the caliber of talent he’s assembled suggest the studio could produce something truly special, potentially reinvigorating interest in single-player, systems-driven games. However, the independent studio will face substantial challenges in an industry where development costs continue to escalate and the margin for error grows ever smaller.
