For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the go‑to tools for game creators, accounting for roughly 70 % of all titles launched on Steam in 2025. While Godot has enjoyed a surge in popularity and some studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—the duopoly of Unity and Unreal still dominates the engine marketplace. Enter Immens, a startup founded by three seasoned veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient.
Their résumés read like a highlight reel of the industry, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they argue that the current landscape still has room for a fresh engine, and more importantly, for a new way of building games.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a novel engine because "a couple of years ago the tools we need simply didn’t exist." He believes that AI‑assisted programming now makes it possible to start projects from a clean slate while still retaining tight guidance and control. "You can get full functionality up and running quickly," he said. Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, is quick to clarify that the AI they employ isn’t the kind that generates content from a single prompt.
Instead, it is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. "AI can reason about massive amounts of data and source code," he noted. "If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can plug in a custom particle system, a bespoke animation pipeline, or any other feature without being limited to a handful of scripts. The AI simply accelerates the extension process." The motivation behind this AI‑centric engine is the increasingly hostile economics of game development.
Brussee described the market as "rough" and warned that production costs keep climbing, making it harder for creators to stay afloat. "We need new ways of working that lower budgets, shrink team sizes, and speed up delivery," he argued. "Otherwise studios risk their livelihoods with each new project." De Jong, the chief product officer, echoed this sentiment, observing that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated.
While that consolidation provides a solid foundation, he believes the industry now needs genuine innovation rather than more of the same. "The current monolithic approach forces developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows," he said. "With AI, we can flip that script and give users an engine that bends to their needs." Flexibility is a core design principle for Immens.
De Jong envisions a system where developers can swap components, append new modules, and craft bespoke tools tailored to their personal workflows. "Imagine being able to build an interface that mirrors exactly how you think, with the shortcuts, features, and layout you prefer," he explained. "That level of customization is what we aim to enable." Valient is also realistic about AI’s limits. While he calls the technology "really powerful," he warns that it can quickly go off‑track if left unchecked.
To mitigate that risk, Immens is built to keep users in the driver’s seat: the engine logs its actions, provides a clear history, and ensures repeatable results. This transparency allows creators to generate, for example, a set of five uniquely‑behaved characters in minutes—a task that previously might have taken weeks—then discard the temporary tool once the job is done. The platform does not impose a single workflow. De Jong stresses that teams can decide how much AI to incorporate and where to apply it, as long as the underlying AI correctly understands the context.
The architecture is deliberately open‑standard, meaning that text‑based files can be read and manipulated by any compatible software. "If you work with Blender, Maya, or any generative tool, you can plug it straight into Immens because we all speak the same language," Brussee said. This openness contrasts with many existing engines that act as closed ecosystems, hindering seamless integration. There is a vocal backlash against AI in game development, often fueled by sensational claims that a simple prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience.
Immens acknowledges the hype but treats AI as a tool rather than a magic button. Valient believes AI will make developers better, not replace them, and stresses the responsibility to wield the technology ethically.
"Any tool can be misused," he warned. "Our job is to make sure it’s used constructively." Economic anxieties also swirl around AI, with some critics labeling the sector a speculative bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying internet persisted and flourished. "We’re focused on building a solid engine; AI simply lets us iterate faster and dream bigger," he said.
Whether the market is in a bubble remains uncertain, but Immens plans to stay grounded by delivering a functional product. Funding details are still vague. The founders have secured "first commitments" but have not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee cautions against over‑capitalization, noting that excess cash can breed complacency.
The team remains deliberately small—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—because engine development requires deep, focused decision‑making rather than a massive workforce. Immens is currently racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. The goal is to release this demo within the month, a timeline that is already twice as fast as initially projected when work began in April. "Timelines are fluid when you’re moving at this speed," Brussee admitted.
As for the business model, Immens admires Epic Games’ philosophy of succeeding when its users succeed, but it remains too early to commit to a specific revenue structure. Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will empower creators to push the boundaries of interactive art.
"We love games and want to see more risk‑taking and creativity," Brussee concluded. "If our technology can help bring that to life, that would be amazing."