For decades, Unity and Unreal have been the go‑to tools for game creators, accounting for roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While the open‑source Godot engine has enjoyed a surge in popularity and a handful of studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—the market has largely been a duopoly dominated by the two giants. Enter Immens, a fledgling venture founded by three seasoned industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient.
Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game development, with stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they argue that there is still room for a fresh engine, one that not only competes on features but also rethinks the economics of game creation. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform because "the tools that existed a couple of years ago simply aren’t adequate any more." He believes AI‑augmented programming can revive the notion of building a game from the ground up without the massive overhead that has become the norm. "With guided AI assistance you can spin up functional prototypes far more quickly, while still retaining full control over the code," he said.
Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, stressed that the AI they are integrating is not the flashy, prompt‑to‑art kind that dominates headlines. Instead, it is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. "AI excels at reasoning over large codebases and data sets.
If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system, a bespoke animation pipeline, or any other feature without wrestling with opaque scripting layers," he explained. The goal is to let creators extend the engine itself rather than merely script on top of it.
The motivation behind this ambitious project is the increasingly hostile financial climate for developers. Brussee described the current landscape as "rough," noting that production budgets are spiraling upward and the risk of failure is higher than ever.
"We need new ways of working that lower costs and shrink team sizes while still delivering high‑quality experiences," he asserted. De Jong, Immens’s chief product officer, pointed out that the engine market has entered a phase of "standardisation and consolidation." While this has given developers a stable foundation, it has also led to a monolithic approach where studios must conform to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. He argues that the next wave of innovation must prioritize flexibility. "Imagine an engine that adapts to you, not the other way around.
You can swap modules, append new tools, and reshape the interface to match your personal workflow," he said. Valient acknowledged that AI is a double‑edged sword. Its power can be transformative, but it can also veer off course if left unchecked.
To mitigate this, Immens is building transparency into the system: users can see exactly what the AI is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable results. This level of oversight is intended to keep the creative process in the hands of developers, allowing rapid iteration—such as generating five uniquely‑behaved characters over a coffee break—without sacrificing control. Flexibility is baked into Immens’s design philosophy. The engine does not impose a single workflow; instead, it offers a modular architecture where developers decide how much AI assistance they want and where to apply it.
De Jong emphasized that the framework must be robust enough to let teams craft their own pipelines, whether they rely heavily on AI or prefer a more traditional approach. Interoperability is another cornerstone. By embracing open, text‑based standards, Immens aims to play nicely with the broader ecosystem of tools like Blender, Maya, and other generative software.
"When files are human‑readable, any program can parse them. The AI can then manipulate those assets directly, creating a seamless bridge between different applications," Brussee noted. This openness counters the tendency of many engines to become closed ecosystems that hinder collaboration. The conversation around AI in game development is often polarized.
Some commentators on platforms like LinkedIn hype the notion of "click‑to‑game" experiences, suggesting that a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale world. Immens’s team tempers such optimism, viewing AI as a powerful tool rather than a magic wand.
Valient believes AI will elevate the entire industry, making both blockbuster titles and indie projects more polished, but he warns against the sensationalist narrative that paints AI as a threat. "Any technology can be misused; it’s our responsibility to apply it responsibly," he said. Economic concerns also linger, especially given the recent surge of AI‑focused startups and the fear of a valuation bubble. Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com era, arguing that while many companies will fall, the underlying technology will endure.
"AI isn’t disappearing; it’s becoming the infrastructure of creative work, just as the internet did," he observed. Immens is focused on building a solid engine first, using AI to accelerate development and inspire bigger dreams, rather than chasing hype. Funding for Immens remains modest and deliberately restrained.
The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as "reasonable." Brussee cautioned against over‑capitalization, noting that excess cash can breed complacency. "Startups need to stay scrappy; otherwise you lose the edge that drives innovation," he laughed.
The company remains a tight‑knit team of the three founders plus a handful of collaborators. This lean structure is intentional, allowing rapid decision‑making while avoiding the overhead of a large organization. De Jong explained the delicate balance: "Building an engine is complex, but you don’t need a thousand engineers. A focused, small team can iterate faster and make smarter choices, especially when you have a narrow window of opportunity created by AI advancements." Immens is currently working toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow.
The team aims to release this demonstration within the month, a timeline that has already outpaced their original expectations. "When we started in April we thought we’d be shipping by year‑end.
We’re now twice as fast," Brussee said, highlighting the very speed gains they promise to deliver to users. Business model discussions are still in early stages.
While Immens appreciates Epic Games’ revenue‑share philosophy—"we succeed when you succeed"—the founders admit it’s too soon to commit to a specific pricing structure. Ultimately, the trio hopes Immens will empower creators to push the boundaries of interactive entertainment.
"We love games and we love the artistic expression they enable. We want to see more risk‑taking, more creativity, and more innovation built on technology that actually serves the creator," Brussee concluded. "If our engine can help make that happen, it would be amazing."