"We chose the worst time in history": Harvey Smith on launching Black Pony Immersive after Arkane

Co-founder Ben Horne, who previously worked on Redfall, echoed Smith's 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." They turned down deals involving NFTs and blockchain, aiming to do things 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. He explained that the impetus to do something "crazy" only arises when things explode, allowing them to believe they could do it better.

"We don't have to seek much approval from anyone else, and that makes us very nimble," Smith noted. The studio has already gathered 26 employees, including veterans like Ricardo Bare, who worked on Deus Ex alongside Smith.

"We pulled people out of major companies because they were unhappy where they were, or just because they were excited about the idea," Smith added. The studio's name, Black Pony Immersive, hints at the genre: games will be single-player, narrative-rich, and exploration-based.

Smith also emphasized the importance of healthcare benefits for employees, noting that in the United States, this is not always guaranteed. "I don't think the people closing the studios understand yet what they've lost," he concluded.