Harvey Smith is a game designer and writer whose work has helped shape some of the most atmospheric and influential games of the last two decades. After serving in the U.S. Air Force he began his career in video games as a tester on the formative System Shock.

Then he joined Ion Storm worked as lead designer on Deus Ex, one of the most influential immersive sims of the era. In 2008 he became a partner at Arkane Studios, where he co-directed the acclaimed Dishonored series and, most recently, Redfall.

Known for championing player agency, richly layered world-building, and morally complex storytelling, his games invite players to think as much as act. And whether crafting dystopias or dark fantasies, he’s remained a guiding voice in one of the medium’s most ambitious genres. 

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