Harvey Smith launches Black Pony Immersive to continue making immersive sims

# What happened

Smith says the new studio will focus on the "immersive sim" subgenre he helped shape—single-player, narrative-driven, first-person games that reward curiosity, exploration, and player creativity.

# Who's involved

Smith is joined by longtime collaborators Ben Horne (taking an executive role) and Ricardo Bare. The core team includes developers who worked on Deus Ex, Dishonored, Prey, and Redfall. Smith describes the group as people he's worked with over many years and calls the lineup a dream to build with.

# What the studio will make

# Lessons and motivations

Smith reflects on his 16 years at Arkane, noting the studio's output—including Dishonored, Prey, Dishonored 2, Death of the Outsider, Mooncrash, and Deathloop—and calls his time there meaningful and formative. He frames Black Pony Immersive as an attempt to replicate the creative success and teamwork he experienced at Arkane while acknowledging the difficulty of repeating that track record.

Smith credits mentors such as Warren Spector and Richard Garriott for shaping his approach. He says he "worked closely with Warren for nine years" and that the relationship influenced his design values.

# Practical expectations for players and fans

• The studio will reveal its first project soon, but no details about the project's size, platform, or release window have been shared.

• Given the team's background, expect design priorities that center on player choice, environmental systems, and narrative context—hallmarks of the immersive sim genre.

• Smith expressed personal commitment: "Always. Until I am dead," when asked about carrying forward the immersive sim tradition.

# Why this matters now

# Immediate unknowns

The studio's first game remains unrevealed. Details such as funding, platform targets, team size, and a development timeline were not disclosed in the announcement.

# Bottom line

Black Pony Immersive is a new studio led by Harvey Smith and populated by veterans of Arkane Austin and other studios. Its stated goal is to make single-player, narrative-driven immersive sims that prioritize player experimentation and emergent gameplay. More concrete information about projects and timelines is pending.