For many years, 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 been gaining traction, most large studios still cling to proprietary solutions such as Capcom’s RE Engine, leaving the market largely dominated by the two giants.
Against this backdrop, three industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have launched a new venture called Immens, convinced that there is still space for a fresh engine that can address the shortcomings of today’s offerings. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game development: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, Apple, and other high‑profile studios.
Together they aim to challenge the status quo and give developers a more adaptable, cost‑effective alternative. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is ideal for a new engine because the technological landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years. "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 more quickly than before." Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarified that the AI component is not about generating assets with a single prompt, but about constructing an engine architecture that is inherently extensible. "AI excels at reasoning over large codebases and data sets," he explained.
"If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom systems—say, a bespoke particle effect—without wrestling with rigid scripting layers. The AI helps them extend the engine faster and more reliably." The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic pressures of the games market, which Brussee describes as "rough." Development costs keep climbing, making it harder for small studios to survive. "We need new ways of working that lower budgets and shrink team sizes while still delivering high‑quality experiences," he asserted.
"If we can make the pipeline more efficient, creators won’t have to risk everything on a single title." De Jong, the chief product officer, observed that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a solid foundation, he believes the industry now requires genuine innovation rather than incremental refinements.
"The monolithic approach of existing engines forces developers to conform to proprietary file formats and workflows," he said. "With AI, we can build an engine that adapts to the user, allowing interchangeable modules, custom tools, and personalized shortcuts that match each developer’s workflow." Flexibility is a core tenet of Immens.
De Jong envisions a system where users can rearrange, append, or replace components at will, crafting bespoke interfaces that suit their project’s unique demands. He gave an example of creating a toolset tailored to his own background, complete with specific shortcuts and features that streamline his team’s production pipeline. Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can behave unpredictably if left unchecked. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: developers will always see what the engine is doing, retain a full history of changes, and be able to reproduce results reliably.
This level of oversight, he argues, turns AI from a mysterious black box into a dependable assistant that can, for instance, generate five distinct characters with particular traits in minutes—a task that previously might have taken weeks. The architecture of Immens is deliberately agnostic. It does not impose a single workflow or dictate how much AI should be used; instead, it offers a modular framework that lets creators decide where AI fits into their process. De Jong stressed the importance of ensuring the AI understands the developer’s intent, which hinges on well‑structured code and clear data models.
Interoperability is another priority. By adopting open, text‑based standards, Immens aims to communicate seamlessly with popular tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑art pipeline.
"When files are human‑readable, any software can parse them," Brussee noted. "That opens the door for smarter interfaces across the entire toolchain, something that proprietary engines have historically resisted." The broader conversation about AI in game development is polarized.
Some commentators on platforms like LinkedIn hype the idea of "click‑to‑game" engines that could conjure a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience from a single prompt. Immens’ founders acknowledge the hype but view AI primarily as an accelerator, not a replacement for human creativity. "AI will make every developer better, not eliminate the need for skill," Valient said.
"It’s a tool, and like any tool, it can be misused, but it also has the potential to unlock unprecedented levels of expression." Economic concerns also linger, with many questioning whether the AI boom is a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: the internet didn’t disappear, but many over‑valued companies fell away, leaving only the strongest survivors. "We’re focused on building a genuinely good engine," he affirmed.
"AI helps us iterate faster and think bigger, but the core product must stand on its own merits." Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the capital sought as "reasonable." Brussee cautioned against over‑funding, noting that excess cash can breed complacency. The team intentionally remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—to stay scrappy and make decisive choices.
Balancing team size with ambition is a delicate act. De Jong explained that creating an engine is a complex undertaking that cannot be solved by throwing a million engineers at the problem. Instead, a small, focused group can iterate, make critical architectural decisions, and adapt quickly to market shifts. Timing is crucial; the next few years will likely see rapid changes driven by AI, and Immens wants to be ready when the window of opportunity opens.
Currently, Immens is developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. The team aims to release this demo within the month, already having accelerated their timeline—what they expected to take until year‑end is now half that time. Regarding the business model, Brussee admires Epic’s "we succeed when you succeed" philosophy but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific revenue structure.
The ultimate goal, he says, is to empower creators to build games that push artistic and technical boundaries. "We love games and want to see more risk‑taking and innovation," he concluded. "If our technology can help bring that vision to life, it would be amazing."