Harvey Smith, a veteran game developer and co-creator of Deus Ex and Dishonored, has launched Black Pony Immersive, a new Austin-based studio focused on single-player, first-person action RPGs with immersive sim elements [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Smith spent 16 years at Arkane Studios before its Austin branch was shut down by Microsoft in 2024 after the commercial failure of Redfall [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Black Pony Immersive's team includes longtime collaborators Ben Horne and Ricardo Bare, as well as developers who previously worked at Arkane, Insomniac, Epic, Avalanche, and Volition [1, 3, 4, 5]. The studio currently employs about 26 full-time staff and has been quietly forming since August 2025 before its public announcement this week [4].
Smith said, "During a time of industry volatility, I'm proud to announce the next step in my video game journey with the reveal of our new studio. At our new studio, we're building exactly the kind of single-player games we're most passionate about" [1]. He added, "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" [2].
The studio aims to create narrative-rich, emergent gameplay immersive sims that emphasize player choice, exploration, and creativity, continuing Smith's design philosophy developed during his over 30-year career [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Operating independently without corporate constraints, Smith said, "We don’t have to seek much approval from anyone else, and that makes us very nimble" [4].
No information has been released about Black Pony Immersive's first game, including its title, setting, platforms, or release date [1, 3, 4]. Meanwhile, industry pioneer Warren Spector, a mentor to Smith and a fellow immersive sim developer, announced his retirement from game development in 2026 [1, 2, 5].
