Harvey Smith has launched Black Pony Immersive, a new studio centered on immersive sims and staffed by former Arkane Austin personnel including Ben Horne and Ricardo Bare. The Austin-based outfit, with a distributed U.S. workforce drawn from Insomniac, Epic, Avalanche, and Volition, plans single-player first-person action RPGs emphasizing expressive systems and player-driven exploration in detailed worlds.

The timing follows Microsoft’s 2024 closure of Arkane Austin after Redfall and amid broader Xbox studio cuts. Smith’s announcement cites industry volatility and a desire to continue the kind of narrative-driven work that defined Dishonored and earlier projects, while Horne notes the team’s long history together makes it suited for ambitious immersive sims. No title or release window has been shared.

Further coverage from The Game Business and GamesIndustry.biz quotes Smith acknowledging the decision came at what he described as the worst time in history for such a venture, with emphasis on avoiding live service and focusing on single-player experiences. Details remain limited to the initial reveal.