For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game creation, accounting for roughly 70% of all titles launched on Steam in 2025. While Godot has made notable strides recently and some major studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been monopolized by these two giants. Enter Immens, a startup 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, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
Together they argue that there is still space for a fresh engine and, more importantly, for a new approach to building games. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a novel engine because "the tools that existed a few years ago simply aren’t enough anymore." He believes that AI‑assisted programming can revive the practice of constructing technology from the ground up, offering developers a way to achieve full‑featured results quickly while retaining extensive control.
Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that their use of AI is not about generating assets with a single prompt. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. "AI can reason over massive codebases and data sets," he says.
"If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom systems—like a bespoke particle effect—without being limited to a narrow scripting layer." The motivation behind this AI‑powered engine stems from the current state of the games market, which Brussee describes as "rough." Development costs keep climbing, making it increasingly difficult for small studios to survive. He asks whether the industry can discover more efficient workflows that reduce budgets, shrink team sizes, and shorten timelines, thereby protecting creators’ livelihoods. De Jong, Immens’ chief product officer, points out that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation.
"We’re at a crossroads where continuing the status quo won’t solve the challenges we face," he asserts. "What we need now is genuine innovation, not more of the same." A key criticism De Jong has of existing engines is their monolithic nature.
Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines. With AI, Immens aims to flip that model, delivering an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs.
"Flexibility is essential," he explains. "You should be able to swap components, extend functionality, and build tools that match your personal workflow—down to the exact shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you require." Valient acknowledges AI’s power but warns that it can quickly go off‑track if left unchecked. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: users can see exactly what the engine is doing, review its decision history, and ensure reproducibility.
This level of oversight enables rapid prototyping—imagine designing five uniquely‑behaved characters over a coffee break instead of spending weeks on them—while still allowing developers to discard temporary tools once they’ve served their purpose. The platform is deliberately built to avoid imposing a single workflow. De Jong stresses that the framework and architecture are designed so each team can decide how much AI to incorporate and where. The engine also embraces open standards, making it easy to interoperate with common tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline.
"When files are text‑based, any program can read them," Brussee notes. "That openness lets the AI parse and manipulate assets directly, creating smarter interfaces across the entire toolchain." Despite a growing backlash against AI in game development—fuelled by sensational claims that a simple prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience—the Immens team views AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement.
Valient believes AI will elevate the quality of both blockbuster and indie titles by making creators more capable. "Any technology can be misused," he says, "but it’s our responsibility to apply it responsibly." Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with many fearing a speculative bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: the internet didn’t disappear, even though many companies failed. He argues that solid products will survive, and Immens is focused on delivering a high‑quality engine that leverages AI to accelerate development and enable bigger creative visions.
Whether the market is in a bubble remains uncertain, but the team is confident that a well‑built engine will endure. Funding details are still under wraps. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee cautions against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency. The startup remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design, believing that a small, focused team can make smarter decisions and move faster.
Balancing team size with ambition is a delicate act. De Jong explains that building an engine is a complex undertaking that cannot be solved by simply hiring a large workforce.
Instead, a compact group must iteratively make critical design choices, all while seizing the narrow window of opportunity presented by AI’s rise. Immens 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 initial expectations; what was projected to take until year‑end is now arriving roughly twice as fast, according to Brussee. The business model remains a work in progress. While Immens admires Epic Games’ philosophy of succeeding when its users succeed, the founders admit it’s too early to commit to a specific revenue strategy.
Ultimately, Brussee hopes the engine will empower creators to push the medium forward, fostering more artistic risk‑taking and innovation. "We love games and want to see more daring, expressive experiences," he concludes. "If our technology can help make that happen, it would be amazing."