Ben Horne
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Dishonored's Harvey Smith named his new studio Black Pony Immersive so people would stop asking him to work on other genres: 'Specialising on what you love is not a bad path'
Dishonored director Harvey Smith has launched a new studio, Black Pony Immersive, with fellow Arkane alumnus Ben Horne. The studio's name explicitly signals its focus on immersive sims, a genre Smith believes in specializing in to avoid the pitfalls of projects like Redfall, which he feels Arkane should not have worked on. Smith aims to leverage his reputation in the genre to build a successful independent studio.
Former Redfall devs discuss lessons and failings from the multiplayer game’s creation
Former Arkane Austin developers, including creative director Harvey Smith and Ben Horne, reflect on the failings of the multiplayer shooter Redfall. They acknowledge that the game was outside their expertise, citing issues like its $70 price tag and lack of performance modes, and express regret over developing a games-as-a-service title. Both are now part of a new studio, Black Pony Immersive, focusing on immersive sims.
Redfall co-director Harvey Smith thinks Arkane 'never should have been working on a games-as-a-service game'
Former Arkane Austin creative director Harvey Smith believes the studio should never have worked on Redfall, a games-as-a-service title. He reflects on the game's failure, the closure of Arkane Austin, and the team's efforts to salvage the game. Smith and other former Arkane developers are now focusing on creating immersive sims with their new company, Black Pony.
A multi-month delay for Deus Ex turned into a huge payoff for one of its best characters, says designer Harvey Smith
Designer Harvey Smith shared how a multi-month delay for Deus Ex significantly improved the game by allowing for expanded character development, particularly for the NPC Gunther Hermann. Initially, Hermann had a minor role with no closure, but the extra time enabled his integration into key missions and a more impactful narrative arc, ultimately enhancing the overall player experience.
"Do questions like that create a self-fulfilling prophecy?”: Dishonored director Harvey Smith on the fear of asking if immersive sims are dead
Dishonored director Harvey Smith, alongside fellow leads Ben Horne and Ricardo Bare, discusses the current state and future of immersive sims. Smith questions whether the constant questioning of the genre's viability creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, while Horne emphasizes focusing on creative vision rather than chasing trends. They acknowledge the success of titles like BioShock and Deus Ex, and Smith pushes back against the notion that first-person games don't sell.
Former Arkane vets' new studio isn't going to try 'trend chasing', and in hindsight, thank God
Harvey Smith and Ben Horne, former Arkane developers, have founded a new studio called Black Pony Immersive. They aim to avoid chasing industry trends and instead focus on creating immersive sim games that excite them and their target audience, citing the continued cultural and financial success of titles like BioShock and Dishonored as evidence of the genre's viability.
Redfall developers begged Microsoft to come back and finish its last patch: 'I know we don't work here anymore, but can we please release this?'
Former Arkane Austin employees, including director Harvey Smith, revealed that they begged Microsoft to allow them to release the final 1.4 patch for the poorly received game Redfall after the studio was shut down. This patch, which fixed numerous bugs, was developed after the team was laid off but was ultimately released by Microsoft, who allowed a small group to return to the office to complete it. While the patch significantly improved the game, it is unlikely to have saved it from its initial critical and commercial failure.
Harvey Smith and fellow Arkane Austin veterans announce a new studio, Black Pony Immersive
Former Arkane Austin veterans Harvey Smith and Ben Horne have announced the formation of a new studio, Black Pony Immersive. The studio, founded in August 2025, aims to create ambitious immersive sim games, drawing on the team's experience from Arkane and other studios like Insomniac and Epic Games. Black Pony Immersive is currently working on an unannounced single-player narrative-rich game.
"Think Deus Ex, think Dishonored, that's what we're doing": Former Arkane devs reveal new studio dedicated to making single-player immersive sims
Former Arkane developers Harvey Smith and Ben Horne have founded a new studio called Black Pony Immersive, dedicated to creating single-player immersive simulation games. The studio aims to recapture the spirit of titles like Deus Ex and Dishonored, bringing together a team of experienced developers who were affected by recent industry layoffs.
Former Arkane Studios leads Harvey Smith & Ben Horne launch Black Pony Immersive game studio
Former Arkane Studios leads Harvey Smith and Ben Horne have launched a new game studio called Black Pony Immersive, which will focus on developing immersive simulation games. The studio aims to push the genre's limits, drawing on their experience with titles like Dishonored and Prey. Despite acknowledging challenging market conditions, the team is committed to creating ambitious games.
Redfall Bosses Explain What Happened With The Failed Xbox Exclusive
Former Arkane directors Harvey Smith and Ben Horne, now heading Black Pony Immersive, discussed the challenges and missteps in the development of the Xbox exclusive Redfall. They cited the industry's focus on live-service games and external factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and the great resignation as contributing to the game's difficulties and poor reception. Despite the studio closure and layoffs, a small team returned to release a significant update, 1.4, which improved the game.
Dishonored Director Announces New Studio, And Fans Should Be Very Excited
Veteran game developers Harvey Smith and Ben Horne have announced the formation of Black Pony Immersive, a new studio focused on creating first-person action-RPGs in well-realized worlds. Smith, a co-creator of the Dishonored series, aims to continue the legacy of immersive sims, a genre that has seen fewer releases in recent years. The studio will be based in Austin, Texas, the same location as Arkane Studios.
"We chose the worst time in history" – Harvey Smith on starting his own studio after Arkane
Former Arkane Studios director Harvey Smith has co-founded a new studio called Black Pony Immersive with Ben Horne, aiming to create immersive sim games. Smith acknowledges the challenging timing for starting a new studio due to the current game business landscape but expresses a desire to build games their way, focusing on player-driven experiences and creative tools. The studio has already reunited several former Arkane colleagues and is working on its first project.
"Through the looking glass": as Arkane fight for their future, Dishonored veteran Harvey Smith reveals new studio dedicated to immersive sims
Harvey Smith, a veteran developer from Arkane Studios, has announced the formation of Black Pony Immersive, a new studio focused on creating imaginative first-person action RPGs and immersive sims. The studio, which includes other former Arkane developers, aims to build single-player games that reward player creativity and exploration. This announcement comes during a period of industry volatility, with Microsoft having recently closed Arkane Austin and currently negotiating the future of Arkane Lyon.
