Recreation trade veterans of Arkane Austin, the developer greatest identified for the Dishonored collection, have introduced a brand new studio two years after closure.
Black Pony Immersive is led by Harvey Smith, artistic director of Dishonored 2 and Dishonored: Dying of the Outsider, and Ben Horne, most just lately the manufacturing director on Redfall. The duo labored collectively at Arkane Austin for years till mum or dad firm Microsoft shut down the studio in 2024.
The co-founders secretly opened the doorways of Black Pony Immersive in August 2025, solely now making the announcement public. “Throughout a time of trade volatility, I am proud to announce the following step in my online game journey with the reveal of our new studio,” mentioned Harvey Smith, who’s performing as CEO and inventive director. “This effort displays all the pieces we have discovered, and all we maintain expensive.”
“This group has labored collectively for years, a long time in some instances, and is purpose-built to make the formidable video games we love—immersive sims,” mentioned Ben Horne, who’s performing as COO and government producer.”
Black Pony has a headcount of 26 (thanks, GamesIndustry.biz), which incorporates fellow expertise from Arkane, but in addition studios Insomniac, Avalanche, Volition, and Epic. Amongst them are Ricardo Naked, who labored as a designer on the Deus Ex collection alongside Smith, and Monte Martinez, previously of Ion Storm and WolfEye fame. All the studio’s full-time staff are primarily based in america, with help from contractors and exterior devs throughout the globe.
Chatting with GamesIndustry.biz, Smith says the studio would not need to “search a lot approval from anybody else,” which makes the staff “very nimble.” Nonetheless, getting so far wasn’t precisely simple—as Horne says, the co-founders spent a number of time in a “actually horrible setting for fundraising,” speaking to completely different teams about find out how to increase cash.
“We turned down some offers that simply did not really feel proper,” Horne tells the publication. “, ‘hey, should you guys are prepared to possibly take into consideration this NFT blockchain scenario…’ As a lot [as we wanted] to get this off the bottom, let’s attempt to do it the precise method.”
Black Pony Immersive is at present engaged on an unannounced single-player and narrative-rich sport that may draw from the staff’s expertise on emergent sport mechanics.
Hi, I’m Rishab. I’m a passionate pc gamer and an avid video game content writer. I have been involved with video games for over 2 decades now, and even today, after playing an astronomical number of games over the years, I’m still eager for more. In my free time, you will find me enjoying a hot cup of coffee and playing my favorite relaxing fishing game, Dave the Diver.
