For years, Unity and Unreal have reigned supreme in the game‑development world, together accounting for roughly seventy percent of all titles launched on Steam in 2025. While the open‑source Godot engine has enjoyed a surge in popularity, most large studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—leaving Unity and Unreal effectively locked in a duopoly.
Enter Immers, a startup founded by three seasoned veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—who believe there is still space for a fresh engine that tackles the shortcomings of the current offerings. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, Apple, and more. Together they aim to challenge the status quo and give developers a more adaptable, cost‑effective tool. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because “the opportunity didn’t exist a few years ago.” He argues that advances in AI‑assisted programming now let teams start from a clean slate and rapidly assemble functional systems under tight guidance and control.
In other words, the engine can deliver full‑featured capabilities much faster than traditional pipelines. Valient, Immers’ chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI component is not about generating assets with a single prompt. Instead, the technology is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible.
“AI can reason about large codebases and data sets,” he says. “If we design the engine with that in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or any other feature without being limited to a narrow scripting layer.” This approach aims to let creators extend the engine quickly, using AI as a productivity accelerator rather than a magic wand. The motivation behind Immers’ AI‑powered engine stems from the bleak reality of today’s game market.
Brussee describes the environment as “rough,” noting that development costs keep climbing and small studios struggle to stay afloat. “We need new ways of working that lower expenses and let teams build games faster with fewer people,” he says. The goal is to break the cycle of ever‑increasing budgets that threaten the viability of independent studios.
De Jong, the chief product officer, points out that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a solid foundation, he believes the industry now needs genuine innovation. “Continuing to do things exactly as we have before isn’t enough,” he argues.
“We need a different approach, one that embraces flexibility rather than a monolithic, one‑size‑fits‑all model.” Current engines often force developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. De Jong envisions an engine that molds itself to the user’s needs.
“It must be highly flexible—swap components, append new tools, modify existing systems. I should be able to build a UI with the shortcuts, features, and layout that perfectly match my team’s workflow,” he explains. Valient acknowledges AI’s limitations, warning that the technology can “go off the rails” if not carefully supervised. To keep creators in the driver’s seat, Immers is building transparency into the engine: users can see what the AI is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable outcomes.
This level of control enables rapid prototyping—imagine designing five distinct characters with specific traits over a coffee break, then discarding the temporary tool once the job is done, something that previously would have taken weeks and a sizable budget. Flexibility is baked into Immers’ design philosophy. De Jong stresses that the engine does not impose a prescribed workflow; developers decide how much AI to incorporate and where. The architecture is deliberately open, allowing integration with existing tools that rely on text‑based, open standards.
“If a file is plain text, any program can read it,” Brussee notes. “Our AI can parse those files, and we can plug in software like Blender, Maya, or any generative tool because everything speaks the same language.” This interoperability aims to solve the long‑standing problem of engines acting as isolated silos. The broader community remains divided on AI’s role in game creation.
Some commentators hype a future where a single prompt generates a Grand‑Theft‑Auto‑scale experience, fueling fear and backlash. Immers’ team, however, sees AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement.
Valient believes that AI will elevate the whole industry, making both blockbuster and indie projects better because “AI makes everybody better.” De Jong adds that, like any tool, AI can be misused, but it is the responsibility of developers to apply it ethically. Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with many questioning whether the current hype represents a bubble.
Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: the internet didn’t disappear, but many over‑valued companies fell away, leaving the truly valuable ones to thrive. Immers aims to be one of those lasting products, focusing on building a solid engine first and using AI to accelerate development and inspire bigger dreams. Funding remains modest.
Immers has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as “reasonable.” Brussee warns against over‑funding, noting that excess capital can breed complacency. The company deliberately stays lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—believing that a small, focused team can make critical decisions more efficiently. Balancing team size with ambition is a delicate act.
De Jong explains that creating an engine is a complex undertaking that cannot simply be solved by hiring a thousand engineers. Yet there is a limited window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry. The challenge is to assemble enough talent and resources to seize that moment without over‑extending. Immers is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month.
The timeline has already outpaced their original estimate—what they thought would take a year is now progressing at double speed. Regarding the business model, Brussee admires Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” philosophy but says it’s too early to commit to a specific approach. Ultimately, the founders hope Immers will empower creators to push the boundaries of interactive art. “We love games and want to see more creativity, risk‑taking, and innovation,” Brussee says.
“If our technology helps bring that forward, it would be amazing.”