Redfall Bosses Reveal The Truth About The Failed Xbox Exclusive

When a creative team hits a wall, they don’t always walk away; sometimes, they build a better path around the obstacle. This is the story of two former Arkane leaders, Harvey Smith and Ben Horne, who traded the high-stakes world of exclusive gaming for a fresh start, pioneering a new vision for immersive adventure.

After navigating the turbulent waters of the live-service boom, Smith and Horne decided to pivot. They established Black Pony Immersive, a new studio dedicated to crafting games that push the very limits of player immersion. Their mission is clear: to create imaginative first-person action-RPGs that redefine what players can experience.

Their journey is rooted in the experience of their previous project, the ill-fated Xbox-exclusive title, Redfall. Smith and Horne openly discussed the challenges of that endeavor, acknowledging that the team got swept up in the demands of the games-as-a-service model. Smith admitted that while he loved the core mechanics, he recognized that to truly succeed, they needed to embrace that new paradigm—mixing what they loved with dynamic mechanics and character classes.

The development cycle was anything but smooth. Beyond the creative decisions, the team faced the chaotic realities of the world outside the studio. The COVID-19 pandemic struck, and the industry experienced a major shake-up known as the great resignation, forcing developers to contend with remote work and shifting priorities. Smith recalled the sheer intensity of the process, noting that the development cycle was punctuated by real-world chaos—from worrying about murder hornets and severe ice storms to dealing with local emergencies.

The pressure was immense, but the resilience was greater. When the game launched, it was poorly received, leading to a difficult period of patching and improvement. Fate intervened when Microsoft shut down Arkane Austin and laid off the team. Instead of accepting defeat, Smith made a remarkable pitch: he asked Microsoft to release a 1.4 update. Though he was already out of the door, the team successfully released the patch, which significantly improved the game.

For Horne, releasing that update after the studio was closed down felt like an achievement unlocked in his professional career. It demonstrated that perseverance, coupled with a commitment to quality, can turn an ending into a powerful new beginning.

The experience of Redfall taught Smith valuable lessons about the intersection of passion and industry demands. He admitted that working on a live-service game felt like stepping outside his comfort zone, realizing that he needed to find his true lane. Now, with Black Pony Immersive, Smith and Horne are channeling that hard-won knowledge into their new focus, ready to craft games defined by true immersion and boundless imagination.