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"We chose the worst time in history" – Harvey Smith on starting his own studio after Arkane

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"We chose the worst time in history" – Harvey Smith on starting his own studio after Arkane

Black Pony Immersive has been built to create the games that Smith and his Dishonored and Deus Ex colleagues do best

Microsoft's closure of Arkane Austin in May 2024 left 96 developers out of work – among them studio head Harvey Smith, whose storied career spans Deus Ex, Dishonored, and Prey. Now, after a two-year quiet period, Smith is ready to reveal his next venture: Black Pony Immersive, a new studio co-founded with former Arkane colleague Ben Horne.

"Ben and I chose the worst time in history [to start a game studio]," Smith tells GamesIndustry.biz. "Because, you know, what else are you going to do?"

Horne, who served as production director on Redfall, echoes this sentiment: "Harvey and I spent a lot of time, in a really horrible environment for fundraising, talking to many different groups about how to raise money. We turned down some deals that just didn't feel right. You know, 'hey, if you guys are willing to maybe think about this NFT blockchain situation...' As much [as we wanted] to get this off the ground, let's try to do it the right way."

While Smith has previously held director roles at Arkane and Midway, this is the first time he has set up his own company, something he says has always been a goal. "It just took a while to get there."

So why now, in what Smith acknowledges is such a difficult game business landscape? "When things are going pretty well, your impetus to do something crazy is very low," Smith explains.


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