Today Bethesda Softworks finally revealed what their new subsidiary Arkane Studios is working on. Their first project under Bethesda will be a first-person stealth action game called Dishonored.

According to Game Informer, Dishonored is a "game about assassination where you don't have to kill anyone." They also mention slaughtering an entire garrison with traps, so you'll be able to kill people if you're so inclined. Players will be able to make a variety of moral decisions in the game, but these choices are determined by actions rather than dialogue options. More details will be provided in GI's August issue.

Arkane Studios was purchased by Bethesda's parent ZeniMax Media in 2010. The French developer is perhaps best known for Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. Raphaël Colantonio, the studio's CEO and creative director is heading up the project along with Harvey Smith. Smith, who serves as co-creative director of Dishonored, was one of the designers of the original Deus Ex. That seems fitting, as Deus Ex was one of the first games that sprang to mind when I read the brief description of the game.

Viktor Antonov, who designed Half-Life 2's City 17, is also on the team. He provided the art for Game Informer's upcoming issue. The art shows a futuristic city street and a giant robot walker. A hand in the foreground - the main character of the game? - is holding a strange mask.

Dishonored is due in 2012. Arkane intends to release it on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.