Dishonored Co-Creator Harvey Smith Launches New Immersive Sim Studio

Industry luminary Harvey Smith, celebrated for his storied tenure at Arkane Studios spanning from 2008 to 2024, has officially unveiled his latest venture: Black Pony Immersive. Joining Smith as co-founder and executive producer is long-standing collaborator Ben Horne, who spent over eight years working alongside him, most recently on Arkane Austin’s Redfall. The new enterprise has been established to champion the intricate, design-driven philosophy that has characterized Smith’s three-decade legacy in interactive entertainment.

The immersive simulation genre is defined by player agency, systematic environmental design, and emergent gameplay that adapts uniquely to every playthrough. Smith’s influence within this space is monumental. Beyond serving as co-creative director on 2012’s award-winning Dishonored and directing its critically acclaimed 2016 follow-up, Dishonored 2, he also served as lead game designer on Ion Storm’s seminal 2000 classic, Deus Ex. His extensive pedigree also includes foundational contributions to System Shock, Ultima VIII: Pagan, and Arkane’s 2017 sci-fi thriller, Prey.

A Commitment to Deep Single-Player Worlds

Within the new studio hierarchy, Smith assumes the twin mantles of Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director, while Horne serves as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Producer. Reflecting on the launch, Smith articulated their creative vision:

“During a period marked by considerable volatility across the industry, I am honored to embark on this next chapter of my career with the debut of a new studio. This endeavor is the culmination of our collective experience and core values. My fondest moments in development come from witnessing players tackle challenges with unscripted creativity while immersing themselves in rich world-building. We strive to reward intuition and exploration. At Black Pony, we are devoted to producing precisely the caliber of ambitious, single-player experiences that ignite our passion.”

— Harvey Smith, CEO & Creative Director

A Veteran Roster of Industry Pioneers

While the executive leadership is anchored in Austin, Texas, Black Pony Immersive operates as a distributed studio, uniting top-tier talent from across the United States. The roster features seasoned developers with backgrounds at industry-leading companies, including Arkane Studios, Insomniac Games, Epic Games, Avalanche Studios, and Volition. Notably, the team includes veteran designer Ricardo Bare, reuniting with Smith after more than 15 years of continuous collaboration that dates back to their foundational work on Deus Ex.

“This core team possesses years—and in some cases decades—of collaborative history, assembled with the express purpose of crafting the ambitious immersive sims we hold dear,” Horne noted. “We are bound by a shared passion for developing games that redefine the boundaries of player immersion, and we look forward to revealing what we have in store.”

— Ben Horne, COO & Executive Producer

While specifics regarding their inaugural project remain strictly under wraps, confirmation that the title will belong to the immersive sim genre provides a promising signal for enthusiasts of systemic, player-led storytelling. Additional details and prospective recruitment opportunities can be explored directly through the official Black Pony Immersive website.