Deus Ex and Dishonored Veterans Form Black Pony Immersive to Build Single-Player RPGs

Game designers Harvey Smith and Ben Horne have established a new independent studio, Black Pony Immersive, with a dedicated mandate to develop narrative-focused first-person action RPGs. Smith, who earned industry acclaim as a designer on the original Deus Ex and co-director of the Dishonored series, is returning to the immersive sim genre alongside Horne.

Horne has collaborated with Smith for eight years, most recently serving as production director on Redfall at Arkane Austin. Creative director Ricardo Bare, whose portfolio includes Redfall, Prey, and Dishonored, has also joined as design director at Black Pony Immersive. The developer is based in Austin, Texas, with remote staff working across the United States, drawing talent from studios such as Insomniac, Epic, Avalanche, and Volition.

The establishment of the studio coincides with broader instability across the gaming sector, following an extensive series of layoffs and structural shifts initiated by Xbox in July. As part of those reorganizations, Xbox is considering shutting down Arkane Studios and canceling the Blade game it was working on, though for now, that team’s fate remains in the hands of French authorities.

Arkane Studios contains the remnants of Smith and Horne’s former crew. Smith was the leader of Arkane Austin until Xbox shut it down in 2024, just three years after purchasing it. Smith also worked with the godfather of immersive sims, Warren Spector, on Deus Ex — and Spector announced his retirement from making video games this week. It really does seem like there’s a Black Pony Immersive-sized hole in the industry right now.

The immersive sim genre, pioneered by studios like Looking Glass Studios, prioritizes systemic gameplay and emergent player choice over rigid scripting. Despite widespread critical prestige, studios specializing in the format have often navigated volatile commercial environments, frequently regrouping under new banners to preserve their core design philosophies.

While there’s no word on what exactly Black Pony is working on, the team’s focus is clear: immersive sims, rich original worlds, emergent gameplay. Not only is “immersive” in the studio’s title, but its website closes out with the line, “Through the looking glass, we’re chasing a dream of mystery, meaning, and creative play.” This is a not-so-subtle reference to Looking Glass Studios, a team that defined first-person action RPGs in the 1990s with the System Shock, Thief and Ultima Underworld franchises.

Smith had the following to say in a press release announcing Black Pony Immersive: “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. 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 and exploration. At our new studio, we’re building exactly the kind of single-player games we’re most passionate about.”