For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces behind the majority of games released on platforms like Steam—accounting for roughly 70 % of titles in 2025. While open‑source alternatives such as Godot have enjoyed notable growth, and a handful of major publishers continue to rely on proprietary solutions (Capcom’s RE Engine, for example), the market has largely been a duopoly.
Into this landscape step three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—who have founded a new venture called Immens with the ambition to introduce a fresh, AI‑enhanced game engine. The three founders bring an impressive résumé: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, Apple, and other high‑profile studios.
Their collective background gives them a unique perspective on the limitations of current engines and the opportunities that modern AI techniques can unlock. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee highlighted that the timing feels right for a new engine, noting that "a few years ago the tools we need simply didn’t exist." According to Brussee, AI‑assisted programming now makes it feasible to start building a game engine from the ground up with a level of guidance and control that was previously impossible. He argues that this approach can accelerate the delivery of full‑featured functionality, allowing developers to focus on creativity rather than wrestling with legacy pipelines.
Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI component is not about generating content through vague prompts. Instead, the engine’s architecture is designed to be highly extensible, leveraging AI’s ability to reason over large codebases and data sets.
"If we build the code with AI in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke gameplay mechanic without being constrained to a limited scripting layer," he explains. This extensibility is intended to empower smaller teams to iterate faster, using AI as a productivity catalyst rather than a replacement for human ingenuity.
The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic pressures facing game developers. Brussee describes the environment as "rough," emphasizing that production costs continue to climb, making it harder for studios to achieve financial sustainability.
He asks whether new workflows can break this cycle, reducing budgets and headcounts while still delivering high‑quality experiences. The answer, he believes, lies in smarter, more efficient development processes powered by AI.
De Jong, the chief product officer, observes that the engine market has entered a phase of "standardisation and consolidation." While this has provided a solid foundation, he contends that the industry now needs genuine innovation rather than incremental refinements. He criticises the "monolithic" nature of existing engines, which force developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid toolchains. With AI, Immens aims to create a fluid engine that reshapes itself around the developer’s needs, allowing users to swap, append, or modify components at will. Flexibility is a recurring theme in the founders’ vision.
De Jong describes a scenario where a developer can craft tools that match their personal workflow—custom shortcuts, interfaces, and features tailored to a specific project. This level of personalization, he argues, is essential for fostering creativity and reducing the friction that often stalls indie teams. Valient also warns that AI, while powerful, can behave unpredictably if left unchecked. To mitigate this risk, Immens is built with transparency in mind: developers can see exactly what the engine is doing, track its decision history, and ensure repeatable outcomes.
This auditability, he says, allows teams to create disposable, task‑specific tools—such as generating a set of characters with particular traits in minutes rather than weeks—without sacrificing control. Immens does not impose a single workflow. De Jong stresses that the framework is deliberately agnostic, giving users the freedom to decide how much AI to integrate and where to apply it. The engine also embraces open standards, meaning that assets stored in text‑based formats can be read and manipulated by any compatible software.
This openness facilitates seamless interoperability with popular tools like Blender, Maya, or other generative pipelines, reducing the isolation that often characterises proprietary engines. The broader industry conversation around AI in game development is mixed. Some commentators predict a future where entire games could be produced with a single prompt—a "click‑to‑game" vision that many find unsettling. Immens’ team acknowledges the hype but positions AI as a supportive instrument rather than a magic wand.
Valient believes AI will make developers better, not replace them, and stresses the responsibility to wield the technology ethically. Economic concerns also surface, especially regarding the hype‑driven valuations surrounding AI startups. Valient draws a parallel with the dot‑com bubble, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying technology endured and evolved.
Immens aims to focus on building a robust engine first; AI simply accelerates their development and expands creative possibilities. Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as "reasonable." Brussee cautions against over‑capitalisation, suggesting that excess cash can breed complacency, whereas a lean operation forces teams to stay scrappy and inventive.
The company currently consists of the three founders plus a handful of helpers, a size chosen deliberately to maintain agility. The team is racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow.
Originally projected for year‑end, the prototype is now expected within the month—a timeline that Brussee claims is twice as fast as anticipated. While the ultimate business model is still under discussion, the founders appreciate Epic Games' revenue‑share philosophy but admit it is too early to commit to any specific arrangement.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to push the medium forward, encouraging risk‑taking and artistic expression. As Brussee puts it, "We love games and want to see more creativity and innovation built on technology like this. That would be amazing."