For years, Unity and Unreal have ruled the game‑development landscape, accounting for roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While Godot has made notable strides recently and some large studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been a duopoly. Into this seemingly settled arena step three seasoned industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient, the founders of Immens. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game‑tech, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and Apple.
Together they believe there is still room for a fresh engine, one that not only competes with the giants but also addresses the pain points that have begun to gnaw at developers. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. “With AI‑assisted programming, you can start building from scratch again,” he said. “Guided by intelligent tools, you can achieve full‑fledged functionality much faster than before.” Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, is quick to clarify that the AI they envision is not the “prompt‑and‑get‑a‑game” fantasy that circulates on social media.
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 solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom systems—say, a bespoke particle effect—without being confined to a limited scripting layer.” This philosophy underpins Immens’s goal: empower creators to augment the engine swiftly using AI‑driven tools, while retaining full control over the process. The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current market climate, which Brussee describes as “rough.” Game development costs keep climbing, making it harder for small studios to survive. “We need new ways of working that lower risk, shrink budgets, and let fewer people deliver high‑quality experiences faster,” he argued.
De Jong, the chief product officer, echoed this sentiment, pointing out that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that consolidation provides a stable foundation, it also stifles innovation. “The industry now faces a series of challenges,” he said.
“Continuing to do exactly what we’ve always done isn’t enough. We need breakthrough ideas, not just more of the same.” One of De Jong’s critiques of existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows, often spending valuable time bending the tool to their needs rather than focusing on creativity.
With AI at its core, Immens aims to flip that script, offering an engine that adapts to the developer. “Flexibility is key,” he explained.
“You should be able to swap components, append new modules, or build entirely custom tools that match your personal workflow—down to the shortcuts, interface layout, and feature set you require for a particular project.” Valient acknowledges that AI is powerful but can be unpredictable if left unchecked. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and user oversight. “When you use the engine, you always know what it’s doing and why,” he said.
“You can trace its actions, reproduce results, and even create throw‑away tools for specific tasks—like generating five uniquely‑traited characters in minutes instead of weeks.” This level of control, he argues, transforms what used to be prohibitively expensive into a routine part of the development pipeline. The architecture of Immens is deliberately agnostic. It does not enforce a single workflow or dictate how much AI you must employ. “It’s up to you,” De Jong affirmed.
“Our framework is set up so you can decide where AI fits into your pipeline, as long as the AI can correctly interpret the data it’s given.” To facilitate seamless integration with the broader ecosystem, Immens adopts open standards and text‑based file formats. “If a file is readable as plain text, any tool—be it Blender, Maya, or a generative model—can interact with it,” Brussee explained. “Open standards let us build smarter interfaces that talk to each other without the usual proprietary roadblocks.” The industry’s reaction to AI in game creation has been mixed, with some commentators sensationalizing the prospect of “click‑to‑game” experiences. Immens’s team, however, views AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement for human creativity.
“AI will make everyone better,” Valient said. “It’s currently framed negatively because it’s disrupting the status quo at an unprecedented scale.” De Jong added that responsible use is essential: “Any tool can be misused; it’s our duty to guide it toward constructive outcomes.” Economic anxieties also swirl around AI, with many fearing a bubble of over‑valued startups. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: “The internet didn’t disappear after the bubble burst; the hype faded, but solid companies survived.” He believes Immens’s focus on building a genuinely useful engine will help it weather any market turbulence.
“We’re not chasing hype; we’re building a product that makes developers faster and lets them dream bigger.” Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed amounts, describing them as “reasonable.” Brussee warns against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency. The company remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design.
De Jong explains the balance: “Building an engine is complex, but you don’t need a million‑person team. A small, focused group can make thoughtful decisions and iterate efficiently. Yet you also need enough resources to capture the current window of opportunity created by AI’s rise.” Immens is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release this month.
The timeline has already outpaced their original estimate: “We expected to be at this point by year‑end, but we’re two‑times faster,” Brussee reported. While the final business model is still under discussion, the team admires Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” approach, though they admit it’s too early to commit to any specific revenue structure. Ultimately, Brussee hopes Immens will enable creators to push the medium forward. “We love games and want to see more daring, artistic expression,” he said.
“If our technology can lower barriers, encourage risk‑taking, and spark innovation, that would be amazing.”