Dishonored co-creator launches a studio with 'Immersive' in the name — here's why it matters

Harvey Smith, co-creator of Dishonored and former director of Arkane Austin, has announced the launch of a new studio called Black Pony Immersive. Alongside executive producer Ben Horne, Smith has assembled "an elite development team" drawing talent from Arkane, Insomniac, Epic, Avalanche, and Volition, including his long-time collaborator Ricardo Bare.

The studio's name leaves no room for doubt about its focus: Black Pony Immersive is built to create "immersive sims" — first-person action RPGs that emphasize player freedom, emergent systems, and richly detailed worlds. According to the studio's website, the team is "built to design and develop imaginative first person action RPGs set within well-realized worlds," with game systems that allow players to approach challenges creatively.

"During a time of industry volatility, I'm proud to announce the next step in my videogame journey with the reveal of our new studio," Smith said in a statement. "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."

Smith is best known for his work on immersive sim classics such as Deus Ex, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and the Dishonored series. The launch comes at a time when the immersive sim genre is struggling — a fact the team appears to acknowledge by taking a more descriptive approach to explaining their design philosophy rather than relying on the niche label. The studio's website explicitly references Looking Glass Studios, the legendary developer behind the original Thief and System Shock games, signaling the team's ambition to revive the genre's core principles.

Black Pony Immersive is currently hiring for multiple positions, though no specific projects or release dates have been announced yet.