Former Arkane Austin studio head and a lead creator on the early Deus Ex and Dishonored series, has announced the founding of Black Pony Immersive. The new studio will be based in Austin, Texas, has a core team of fellow ex-Arkane developers and will be working on new games in the immersive sim genre for which they are best known.
Smith is joined by Ben Horne and Ricardo Bare, the team is made up for 26 former Arkane Austin staff in total.
In the press release, Smith said, “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.”
Taking the role as COO for the studio, Ben Horne adds, “This group has worked together for years, decades in some cases, and is purpose-built to make the ambitious games we love—immersive sims. We share a vision for crafting games that push the limits of player immersion. We can’t wait to reveal more soon.”
It’s an exciting development, given the legacy that they will look to build on. Smith was there almost at the dawn of the modern immersive sim, as lead game designer on Deus Ex under Warren Spector, before acting as director for the sequel Deux Ex: Invisible War. He joined Arkane in 2008, as studio founder Raphaël Colantonio brought him on board to be a co-creative director on the massively acclaimed Dishonored. After that point, Arkane saw its two studios – Austin and Lyon – branch off in different directions. Smith worked with the Lyon team to continue the Dishonored series, directing Dishonored 2 and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider. He then shifted across to Arkane Austin to be co-director on the ill-fated Redfall, and was Studio Head until Arkane Austin’s closure in May 2024.
It’s nice to have a mote of positivity for the immersive sim genre again, after various studio closures, game cancellations, and the threat of more – Arkane Lyon’s fate is currently hanging in the balance. In just the last month, Thief designer Randy Smith Evergreen has opined that the immersive sim no longer has the pull to make for AAA games, and the decline of OtherSide Entertainment has pushed the genre’s originator, Warren Spector, to announce his retirement from game making. So yeah, it’s good to see someone’s still willing to give it a go.
via Gematsu