Dishonored, Deus Ex Designer Stars New Studio to Continue Focusing on Immersive Sims

Former Dishonored and Deus Ex designer Harvey Smith has launched a new game development studio called Black Pony Immersive. The studio will focus on the immersive sim genre, an area Smith helped popularize through his work on the Dishonored and Deus Ex series.

Smith, who previously worked as co-creative director on Dishonored and creative director on Dishonored 2, as well as lead game designer on the original Deus Ex, is excited to build single-player games that reward players for their curiosity and exploration.

Smith, a disciple of immersive-sim legend Warren Spector, expressed his admiration and gratitude for working closely with Spector for nine years. He is thrilled to be part of the new studio and build on the team he had at Arkane Austin, including Ricardo and people he worked with on Deus Ex, Dishonored, and Prey.

Smith acknowledges the current challenges facing the gaming industry, but is optimistic about the potential for Black Pony Immersive. He hopes the studio can create at least 4-5 "absolute bangers" and foster a supportive, creative environment for its team.

Smith is joined by longtime Arkane Austin collaborator Ben Horne and Ricardo Bare at Black Pony Immersive. The team, with a resume including Deus Ex, Dishonored, Prey, and Just Cause, is eager to reveal more about their first project in the near future.