They say the best things must be saved for last, and with our gamescom 2026 coverage heading toward completion, it's time to unveil my own personal game of the show: NO LAW from Neon Giant, the Swedish studio behind 2021's isometric twin-stick action shooter The Ascent. I've enjoyed their previous game quite a bit, but this one is honestly on another level. As an immersive sim fan, I absolutely loved what I saw in that demo, which surpassed the already strong hype I felt ahead of the appointment. The visuals are impressive, but the gameplay perhaps even more so. Such […]

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The immersive sim genre is one of the more underrepresented in the industry, owing to its complex and multi-layered nature alongside the fact that past successes have failed to hit the heights which shareholders demand. One team which was dedicated to the genre however was Arkane. In the wake of the closure of its Austin branch, a new studio has risen, with veterans Harvey Smith and Ricardo Bare announcing ‘Black Pony Immersive’.

In an interview with the publication TheGameBusiness, ex-Arkane co-studio head and immersive sim icon Harvey Smith announced that he has opened up a brand new studio alongside Ricardo Bare.

Named Black Pony Immersive, it is quite clear what the newly established studio will be focused on, with the team stating: “We want to make immersive sims. We want to make single player, narrative driven, first person games where you explore and solve problems creatively. Think Deus Ex, think Dishonored, that's what we're doing.”

While things remain in its early stages for now (having officially formed just a year ago and currently comprising of 26 developers), Black Pony Immersive includes plenty of talent.

For the uninitiated, not only is Harvey Smith known for his extensive work on the Dishonored series, but the creative has had a hand in many of the biggest games in the immersive sim genre going as far back as the original 1994 System Shock. Smith was also the lead game designer for the 2000 classic Deus Ex and even served as a game designer for 2004’s Thief Deadly Shadows.

The full interview with Smith and co. can be found HERE, and includes their thoughts on the immersive sim genre, the current state of the industry and much more.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this announcement? Is the immersive sim genre saved? What’s your favourite series worked on by Harvey Smith? Let us know down below.

Veteran game developer Harvey Smith, known mostly as the Co-Creative Director on Dishonored, Creative Director on Dishonored 2, and Lead Game Designer on Deus Ex, officially unveiled Black Pony Immersive, a new studio dedicated to building imaginative first-person action RPGs in the immersive sim genre. The Austin-based studio will focus on crafting well-realized worlds where players create their own experiences through expressive, emergent game systems. It's especially welcome news following the retirement of Warren Spector, who pioneered the genre alongside Smith with Deus Ex. From Origin Systems to Arkane: Smith's Three-Decade Path Smith's history in the industry stretches back long […]

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One of the most interesting game reveals at The Game Awards 2025, at least in my opinion, was Neon Giant's NO LAW. The new game from the makers of The Ascent is a first person open world shooter that was easy to compare to Cyberpunk 2077, although its developers were quick to address that, clarifying that it's "a lot more intimate" in comparison to CD Projekt RED's game. In a new interview with EDGE magazine (issue 421, April 2026), Neon Giant co-founder and creative director Arcade Berg revealed the true inspiration: immersive simulations. We feel really good about putting this […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/no-law-lets-you-kill-any-character-inspired-immersive-sims/