Unity and Unreal have long held sway over the game‑development landscape, accounting for roughly 70 % of all Steam releases in 2025. While Godot has gained traction in recent years and some studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—the market has largely been dominated by the two giants. Against this backdrop, three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have decided to challenge the status quo with a fresh offering: Immens, an AI‑enhanced game engine designed to give smaller teams a competitive edge.
The trio’s résumés read like a who’s‑who of modern game development. Brussee cut his teeth at Epic Games, the creator of Unreal, and later contributed to titles at Guerrilla Games and Apple. De Jong has a background in technical leadership at studios such as Boss Key, while Valient brings deep systems‑engineering experience from his tenure at Apple and other high‑profile projects. Together they argue that, despite the market’s consolidation, there is still room for innovation and for an engine that addresses the pain points that have emerged over the past decade.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because "the tools that existed a couple of years ago simply aren’t sufficient anymore." He believes AI‑assisted programming can revive the ability to build from the ground up without the massive overhead that traditionally accompanies engine development. "With guided AI support, you can prototype core systems much faster and still retain full control over the final product," he said.
Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI component is not about generating entire games from a single prompt. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. "Our AI can reason about large codebases and data structures, allowing developers—whether solo creators or small studios—to add custom features like bespoke particle systems or unique rendering pipelines without rewriting core engine code," he explained.
This approach aims to democratise deep engine customization, moving beyond the limited scripting layers that most current engines provide. The motivation behind Immens is also economic. Brussee described the current climate as "rough" for developers, noting that production budgets are ballooning and risk is increasing. "We need new workflows that cut costs, shrink team sizes, and shorten timelines, otherwise studios are gambling with their livelihoods," he warned.
De Jong echoed this sentiment, pointing out that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated, offering a solid foundation but lacking the innovative spark needed to solve emerging challenges. One of De Jong’s critiques of existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers often have to conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, which can stifle creativity. By contrast, Immens is being built to be fluid and adaptable.
"You should be able to swap modules, append new tools, and modify existing systems to match your exact workflow," he said. He gave a personal example of tailoring an interface with precise shortcuts and features that align with his own development style, illustrating the level of customisation the engine aims to support. Valient also acknowledged the limitations of AI, cautioning that it can "go off the rails" if left unchecked.
To mitigate this, Immens will keep developers in the loop, providing full visibility into the AI’s actions, version history, and decision‑making process. This transparency ensures that any generated content or code can be audited, repeated, and refined as needed.
He illustrated the potential time savings with a scenario: creating five characters with specific traits that might have taken weeks can now be prototyped over a coffee break, with the resulting tools reusable for future projects. Flexibility is baked into Immens’s design philosophy. De Jong emphasized that the engine will not enforce a single workflow; instead, it will offer a modular framework where teams decide how much AI assistance they want and where to apply it.
The architecture will also embrace open standards, making it easier to interoperate with popular tools like Blender, Maya, or other generative‑AI platforms. "When files are text‑based and open, any software can read and manipulate them," Brussee noted, highlighting the importance of seamless data exchange. The broader industry reaction to AI in game development is mixed. Some commentators predict a future where entire AAA experiences could be generated from a simple prompt, a notion that many view with skepticism.
Immens’s founders see AI as a powerful augmentative tool rather than a replacement for human creativity. Valient argued that AI will elevate the craft, making developers more productive, while De Jong warned that responsible usage is essential to avoid misuse. Economic concerns also linger, particularly the fear of an AI‑driven bubble. Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies will fail, the underlying technology will persist and evolve.
"AI isn’t disappearing; it’s becoming the infrastructure that enables faster, bigger dreams," he said. Funding for Immens remains modest. The company has secured its first round of commitments but has not disclosed amounts, describing the capital raise as "reasonable". Brussee cautioned against over‑funding, noting that excess cash can breed complacency and reduce the scrappy mindset that fuels innovation.
Currently, Immens is a lean operation consisting of the three founders and a handful of helpers. This small team size is intentional, allowing rapid decision‑making while avoiding the pitfalls of scaling too quickly. De Jong explained the delicate balance: "You need enough talent to tackle a complex engine, but not so many that you lose focus or burn through resources before the market window closes." The team is working toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month.
Brussee revealed that development is progressing at twice the speed initially projected, underscoring the efficiency gains the AI integration promises. As for the business model, Immens is still exploring options.
While they admire Epic Games’ revenue‑share approach—"we succeed when you succeed"—they admit it’s too early to commit to a specific structure. Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will enable creators to push the boundaries of interactive art, fostering more risk‑taking and innovation in the games industry. "We love games and want to see more daring, creative experiences," Brussee concluded. "If our technology can help make that happen, it would be amazing."