For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the go‑to tools for game creators, accounting for roughly 70 % of all titles released on Steam in 2025. While Godot has enjoyed a surge in popularity recently and some large studios continue to rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—the market has largely been dominated by the two giants. Nevertheless, three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—believe there is still space for a fresh engine that addresses the shortcomings of the status quo.
Their new venture, Immens, is built on a résumé that reads like a who’s‑who of game development: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, Apple, and more. Together they aim to challenge the entrenched incumbents. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine that simply didn’t exist a few years ago.
“With AI‑assisted programming, we can start building from the ground up again,” he said. “Guided by intelligent tools, we can deliver full‑featured functionality much faster than before.” Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they employ is not the “prompt‑to‑content” gimmick that many in the field are touting.
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 noted. “If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or any other feature without being limited to a tiny scripting layer.
The AI helps you extend the engine quickly and safely.” The motivation behind this AI‑powered platform stems from the current challenges facing game developers. Brussee described the market as “rough” and warned that development costs are spiralling.
“Creating a successful game is getting harder and more expensive,” he said. “We need new workflows that cut costs, let smaller teams ship faster, and reduce the financial risk to studios and individuals alike.” De Jong, Immens’ chief product officer, observed that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that standardisation has provided a solid foundation, he argues that the industry now needs genuine innovation.
“Continuing to do things exactly as we have in the past won’t solve the emerging challenges,” he asserted. “We need a different approach—one that embraces flexibility rather than imposing a monolithic, one‑size‑fits‑all solution.” One of the pain points De Jong highlighted is the rigidity of current engines, which often force developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and workflows.
With AI, Immens aims to flip that dynamic, allowing the engine to adapt to the developer’s needs. “It should be highly flexible,” he explained. “You can swap components, append new modules, or build entirely custom tools that match your personal workflow—down to the shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you require for a specific project.” Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can quickly go off‑track if not monitored. To address this, Immens is built to keep users in control, providing full transparency over what the AI does and a complete history of its actions.
“You can see exactly how a tool generated five characters with a particular trait, for example,” he said. “What used to take weeks can now be prototyped over a coffee break, and the resulting workflow can be reused or discarded as needed.
That level of control makes the process both efficient and safe.” Flexibility is a core design principle for Immens. De Jong emphasized that the engine does not enforce a specific workflow; instead, it offers a modular architecture that lets developers decide how much AI to incorporate and where. “We must ensure the AI understands the context correctly, but the choice of when and how to use it stays entirely with the user.” Interoperability is another priority.
Immens will rely on open standards and text‑based file formats, making it easy to integrate with existing tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline. “When files are human‑readable, any system can parse them,” Brussee said.
“Open standards allow the AI to read, modify, and exchange data seamlessly, something that many proprietary engines still struggle with.” The broader gaming community has expressed mixed feelings about AI. Some commentators on LinkedIn have sensationalised the idea that a single prompt could generate a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, fueling both excitement and fear. Immens acknowledges the hype but positions AI as a tool rather than a magic button. “One day we might see ‘click‑to‑game’ engines, but for now we view AI as an enhancer that makes developers better,” Valient remarked.
“It’s disruptive, which is why it carries negative connotations, but that disruption is necessary.” De Jong added a note of responsibility: “AI is a tool like any other. It can be misused, but it can also empower creators. It’s up to us as an industry to adopt it responsibly.” Beyond creative concerns, there is anxiety about the economics of AI.
Critics warn that the sector may be a bubble with inflated valuations. Valient counters that AI is unlikely to disappear, drawing a parallel to the dot‑com era: “The internet didn’t vanish after the bubble burst; many companies fell, but the technology endured. We’re focused on building a solid engine; AI simply accelerates our development and expands our imagination.” Funding for Immens remains modest. The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against over‑funding, noting that excessive capital can breed complacency.
“Start‑ups need to stay scrappy; too much money can make you lazy.” The team itself is intentionally lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers. De Jong explained the balance between needing enough talent to tackle a complex engine and avoiding the inefficiencies of a massive crew. “Building an engine is intricate, but you can’t just throw a million engineers at it and expect instant success. We need a focused group that can make deliberate decisions while seizing the narrow window of opportunity presented by AI’s rise.” Immens is currently targeting a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month.
Brussee noted that the project, which began in April, is already progressing twice as fast as initially projected, making timeline predictions difficult. Regarding the business model, Immens is still exploring options. While they appreciate Epic Games’ philosophy of “we succeed when you succeed,” Brussee admitted it’s too early to commit to a specific revenue structure.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will enable games that push artistic and technical boundaries. “We love games and want to see more daring, creative works,” Brussee said. “If our technology can help developers take bigger risks and innovate, that would be amazing for the whole industry."