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 open‑source alternatives such as Godot have gained traction, most large studios still rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—and the market has seemed largely locked in place. Enter Immersive, a fledgling startup founded by three seasoned veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry, with experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
The trio believes there is still room for a fresh engine that not only competes on performance but also re‑thinks how developers build games. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform.
"A couple of years ago the idea of an AI‑augmented engine didn’t really exist," he said. "Now, with AI‑assisted programming, we can start from a clean slate and assemble a fully functional toolchain much more quickly than before." Valient, Immersive’s chief technology officer, is quick to clarify that the AI component is not about generating assets through vague prompts. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. "If we design the engine with AI in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke physics module without rewriting large sections of code," he explained.
"The AI helps reason about the existing code and data, accelerating extensions and reducing the need for tedious scripting." The motivation behind this ambitious project is the increasingly hostile economics of game development. Brussee described the current climate as "rough," noting that production costs keep climbing and the risk of failure is higher than ever.
"We need new ways of working that lower budgets, shrink team sizes, and speed up iteration," he argued. "If we can make the development pipeline more efficient, studios won’t have to gamble their entire livelihood on a single title." De Jong, the chief product officer, sees the market as having become overly standardized and consolidated. While that consolidation has provided a solid foundation, he believes it also stifles innovation.
"The industry is at a crossroads," he said. "Continuing to use the same monolithic engines and proprietary file formats won’t solve the challenges we face. We need an engine that adapts to the developer, not the other way around." Flexibility is a core tenet of Immersive’s design philosophy.
De Jong envisions a system where developers can swap out modules, append new features, or completely redesign tools to match their personal workflow. "Imagine being able to craft an interface with exactly the shortcuts, panels, and visual feedback you need for a specific project," he said. "That level of customization has been impossible with the current generation of engines." Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can become unpredictable if left unchecked.
To mitigate this, Immersive is building transparency into the engine: users can see what the AI is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable outcomes. "You could once spend weeks designing five characters with a particular trait; now you can prototype that in a coffee break and generate reusable tools for future projects," he noted. "That kind of rapid, low‑cost iteration is what makes the technology truly transformative." Another pillar of Immersive’s strategy is openness.
By embracing text‑based file formats and open standards, the engine can communicate seamlessly with tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline. Brussee highlighted that when data is stored in human‑readable formats, the AI can parse and manipulate it directly, fostering a more collaborative ecosystem. "Most engines act as closed black boxes," he said.
"We want to break that barrier so that any software can plug in and exchange information without friction." The conversation around AI in game development is often polarized. Some commentators on LinkedIn predict a future where a single prompt can spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, fueling fear of a "click‑to‑game" utopia. Immersive’s team acknowledges the hype but insists their engine is a tool, not a replacement for human creativity. Valient summed it up: "AI will make developers better, not obsolete.
It’s a disruptive technology, but like any tool it can be used responsibly or misused. The responsibility lies with us." Economic anxieties also linger, with many questioning whether AI‑driven game tech is a bubble. Valient drew a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many startups vanished, the underlying internet endured. "AI isn’t disappearing; it’s becoming the infrastructure of the next wave of interactive media," he said.
"Our focus is on building a solid engine that stands on its own merits, regardless of market hype." Funding for Immersive remains modest. The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed exact figures, emphasizing that “reasonable” capital is preferable to an oversized war chest that could breed complacency. Brussee joked that excess money can make a startup lazy, while De Jong explained the need for a lean team to make decisive technical choices.
"You can’t throw a million engineers at an engine and expect it to work," he said. "A small, focused group can iterate faster and seize the narrow window of opportunity presented by AI’s rise." The team is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. Originally slated for a year‑long development cycle, the prototype is now expected to ship within weeks—an early indicator that the AI‑centric approach may indeed accelerate production. Regarding the business model, Brussee expressed admiration for Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” licensing philosophy but admitted that Immersive is still exploring the best path forward.
The ultimate goal, he concluded, is to empower creators to push the artistic and technical boundaries of games. "We love games and want to see more risk‑taking, more creativity, and more innovation," he said. "If our engine can help make that happen, it would be amazing."