Dishonored Was Arkane's Last-Ditch Effort Before Success
Arkane Studios was on the brink of financial collapse with only months of funding left. The studio pivoted from canceled projects like Thief 4 and Blade Runner to focus on Dishonored. This critical and commercial success saved the studio and inspired its co-creators' new venture.
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Dishonored was a last-ditch effort by Arkane Studios after years of fruitless contract work, according to the game's co-creator: 'I think we had four months of money left'
Dishonored co-creator Harvey Smith revealed that the game was a last-ditch effort for Arkane Studios, which was facing financial collapse with only four months of funds remaining. The studio had been taking on various contract work, but ultimately decided to focus on their passion project, which became a critical and commercial success. This experience solidified Smith's belief in pursuing creative passion, a principle he is applying to his new studio, Black Pony Immersive.
"Arkane was about to go under" before it committed to Dishonored, former lead says: "We had 4 months of…
Former Arkane Studios lead designer Harvey Smith revealed that the studio was close to closure before committing to the development of Dishonored. The studio was working on multiple projects with dwindling funds before refocusing on the immersive sim, which became a critical and commercial success. Smith has since co-founded a new studio, Black Pony Immersive, to continue making single-player immersive sim games.
Dishonored co-creators were working on Thief 4 and a Bladerunner game before Bethesda let them make an imsim classic
Dishonored co-creators Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith revealed that Arkane Studios was initially slated to develop Thief 4 and a new Blade Runner game before Bethesda greenlit their original immersive sim. Both Colantonio and Smith expressed strong interest in these projects, which ultimately fell through, leading to the development of Dishonored.
