Dishonored and Deus Ex veterans launch Black Pony Immersive to build immersive sims again

Harvey Smith, the creative director behind the Dishonored series and Deus Ex, along with Ben Horne, former production director at Arkane Austin, have announced the formation of a new studio called Black Pony Immersive. The company was quietly founded a year ago but only went public with its existence now.

The studio currently employs 26 people, many of whom are former Arkane developers. Among them is Ricardo Bare, lead designer on Prey and Deus Ex: Invisible War. Smith, Horne, and Bare previously worked together at Arkane Austin before its closure by Microsoft in 2024.

Smith described the studio's focus as single-player, story-driven first-person games that emphasize exploration and creative problem-solving. "Think Deus Ex, think Dishonored — that's what we're making," he said. In other words, Black Pony Immersive is dedicated to the immersive sim genre, which includes classics like Thief and System Shock, as well as the titles Smith and Bare helped shape.

The studio is already working on its first game with support from undisclosed financial partners. No further details about the project have been revealed beyond the genre. Smith acknowledged the timing of the launch, calling it "the worst possible moment in history" to start a game studio. He explained that when the market is stable, people are less inclined to take risks, but when everything feels out of control, bold decisions become more likely.