For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, together powering roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While Godot has enjoyed a surge in popularity and some studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—the market has largely been locked into the duopoly of Unity and Unreal.
Enter Immens, a startup founded by three industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game tech, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
The trio believes the current engine landscape is ripe for disruption and that a fresh approach can address long‑standing pain points. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because "the tools that existed a few years ago simply aren’t enough anymore." He highlighted the role of AI‑augmented programming, suggesting that developers can now start building from a clean slate with far more guidance and automation than was previously possible.
"With AI‑supported workflows, you can get full‑featured functionality up and running quickly," he said. Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the company’s use of AI differs from the hype‑driven "prompt‑to‑asset" narrative that dominates headlines.
Instead, AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. "If we design the engine so that AI can reason about the entire code and data graph, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke gameplay mechanic without wrestling with opaque scripting layers," he explained.
This extensibility is meant to empower smaller teams to tailor the engine to their unique visions rather than forcing them to conform to a monolithic framework. The motivation behind Immens’s AI‑first engine is the increasingly hostile economics of game creation.
Brussee described the current climate as "rough," noting that development costs continue to climb while budgets shrink. "It’s becoming harder to break even, let alone turn a profit," he warned. The founders argue that by rethinking workflows and leveraging AI to automate repetitive tasks, studios can reduce headcount, shorten schedules, and mitigate financial risk.
De Jong, the chief product officer, observed that the engine market has entered a phase of "standardisation and consolidation." While this has produced stable foundations, it also stifles innovation. "The industry faces a suite of challenges—from rising production costs to talent shortages—and simply iterating on the same old tools won’t solve them," he said. He advocates for a shift toward flexible, modular engines that adapt to developers rather than the other way around.
One of the biggest criticisms of existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers often have to work within proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, which can hinder creativity. De Jong believes AI can turn this model on its head by allowing the engine to learn and adjust to a team’s workflow. "You should be able to swap components, append new features, and build custom tools that match your exact shortcuts, UI preferences, and project requirements," he said.
This level of personalization, powered by AI, could enable developers to craft bespoke solutions without extensive low‑level coding. Valient also cautioned that AI is a double‑edged sword.
While it offers powerful capabilities, it can produce unpredictable results if left unchecked. "We’re building Immens so that users retain full control and visibility over what the AI does," he emphasized. Every change is logged, reproducible, and reversible, ensuring that creators can trust the tool rather than fear it. The engine’s design deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow.
De Jong stressed that the architecture is open‑ended: "You decide how much AI you want to employ and where you apply it. Our job is to make sure the AI understands the context correctly, not to force a one‑size‑fits‑all pipeline." Interoperability is another pillar of Immens’s philosophy. By embracing open standards and text‑based file formats, the engine can seamlessly exchange data with popular tools like Blender, Maya, and other generative pipelines. "When files are human‑readable, any software can parse them, and AI can manipulate them on the fly," Brussee noted.
This openness contrasts with many proprietary engines that act as closed ecosystems, making cross‑tool collaboration cumbersome. There is a vocal backlash against AI in game development, often fueled by sensational claims that a single prompt could generate a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience. Immens acknowledges the hype but frames AI as a "tool" rather than a magic wand. Valient believes AI will elevate the entire industry: "Big productions and indie titles alike will benefit because AI makes every creator more capable." Economic anxieties also swirl around AI, with some fearing a bubble of over‑valued startups.
Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying technology— the internet— persisted and flourished. "AI isn’t disappearing; it’s evolving. Our focus is on building a solid engine that leverages AI to accelerate development, not on chasing fleeting valuations," he said.
Funding details remain vague. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the capital sought as "reasonable." Brussee warned against excessive cash, noting that abundant funding can breed complacency: "Startups need to stay scrappy to innovate." The team remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design. De Jong explained that a massive staff would not necessarily speed up engine development; instead, a small, focused group can make deliberate decisions and iterate efficiently. He sees a narrow window of opportunity over the next few years as AI reshapes the industry, and Immens aims to seize it without over‑extending resources.
Currently, Immens is working on a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. The goal is to release this demo within the month, a timeline that already outpaces their original estimate of year‑end delivery.
Brussee highlighted the rapid progress: "We’re moving twice as fast as we thought we would, which makes it hard to predict exact milestones." Regarding the business model, Brussee admires Epic’s revenue‑share approach—"we succeed when you succeed"—but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific strategy. Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will empower creators to push artistic boundaries, take risks, and deliver innovative experiences. "We love games and want to see more daring, creative work," Brussee concluded.
"If Immens can provide the tools that let developers realize those visions, that would be amazing."