For years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game creation, accounting for roughly 70% of all titles released on Steam in 2025. While open‑source options like Godot have gained traction and some studios continue to rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—the market has largely been monopolised by these two giants. Against this backdrop, three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have launched Immens, a new AI‑enhanced game engine that they believe can carve out a fresh niche and address long‑standing inefficiencies.
The founders bring a résumé that reads like a who’s‑who of modern game development. Brussee once helped shape the original Unity engine, De Jong has a background in building tools for studios such as Guerrilla Games, and Valient’s experience spans roles at Epic Games, Apple, and the indie‑focused Boss Key. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is ripe for a fresh engine, noting that "a few years ago the technology simply wasn’t there." He believes AI‑assisted programming now makes it possible to start projects from a clean slate while still delivering full‑featured results quickly.
Valient, who serves as Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI component is not about generating assets from a single prompt, but rather about constructing an engine architecture that is inherently extensible. "AI can reason over massive codebases and data sets," he explains. "If we design the underlying system with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom modules—say, a bespoke particle system—without being constrained to a limited scripting layer. The goal is to let creators extend the engine at a speed that matches their imagination." The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic climate of game development.
Brussee describes the environment as "rough," emphasizing that production costs are spiralling and that many studios struggle to stay afloat. "We need new workflows that cut expenses and enable smaller teams to ship games faster," he says. "If we can reduce the financial risk, we give creators the freedom to experiment and take creative risks." De Jong, Immens’ chief product officer, observes that the engine landscape has become overly standardised and consolidated.
While this has provided a stable foundation, he argues that the industry now faces a series of challenges that demand innovation rather than incremental improvement. "Continuing to do exactly what we’ve always done won’t solve the problems we’re seeing," he asserts. "We need a different paradigm—one that embraces flexibility and adaptability." One of the pain points De Jong highlights is the "monolithic approach" of existing engines. Developers are often forced to conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, which can stifle creativity.
With AI integration, Immens aims to become an engine that moulds itself around the developer’s needs. "You should be able to swap components, append new functionality, or even build entirely custom tools that match your workflow," he says. "Imagine a designer who can craft a UI that mirrors their personal shortcuts and preferences, then hand it off to the rest of the team without fighting the engine’s constraints." Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword.
While it offers unprecedented power, it can also behave unpredictably if left unchecked. To mitigate this, Immens is being built with transparency and control at its core. Users will be able to trace the AI’s decisions, understand its reasoning, and reproduce results reliably. "The creative process often involves solving very specific problems—like generating five characters with a unique trait," Valient notes.
"In the past that might take weeks; with the right AI‑assisted tools you could prototype it over coffee. The key is that the tool remains under the developer’s command, not the other way around." Flexibility is baked into Immens’ architecture. The team refuses to impose a single workflow, instead providing a modular framework that lets studios decide how much AI to incorporate and where. "Our architecture is deliberately open," De Jong says.
"Whether you want AI to handle asset generation, code scaffolding, or optimisation, you choose the level of involvement. The engine simply provides the scaffolding for those choices." Interoperability is another priority.
By adhering to open, text‑based standards, Immens can communicate seamlessly with popular tools such as Blender, Maya, or other generative pipelines. "When files are human‑readable, any software can parse them," Brussee explains. "That means the AI can read, modify, and export assets without being locked into a proprietary ecosystem. This openness is a big step forward compared to many current engines that act as closed silos." The conversation around AI in game development is often charged with hype and fear.
Some commentators on platforms like LinkedIn predict a future where a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience. Immens’ founders temper those expectations, viewing AI as a powerful assistant rather than a magic button. "Click‑to‑game engines might someday exist, but for now we see AI as a tool that amplifies human talent," Valient says.
"It’s disrupting at a scale we haven’t seen before, which explains the negative connotations, but the net effect will be a higher overall quality of games." Economic concerns also surface, with many questioning whether AI‑focused startups are part of a speculative bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying technology— the internet—persisted and flourished. "AI isn’t disappearing; it’s evolving. Some firms will fail, but those that build genuinely useful products will survive.
Our focus is on delivering a solid engine that leverages AI to speed development and expand creative possibilities. Whether the market is in a bubble is uncertain, but history shows that valuable technology endures." Funding for Immens remains modest. The team has secured initial commitments but has not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as "reasonable." Brussee warns against excessive capital, suggesting it can breed complacency. "Startups need to stay scrappy; too much money can make you lazy." Currently, Immens is a lean operation consisting of the three founders and a handful of collaborators.
They believe a small, focused team is essential for making deliberate design decisions without the overhead of a massive staff. De Jong explains the balancing act: building a sophisticated engine requires expertise, yet throwing a large workforce at the problem does not guarantee success. Timing is also critical; the industry is at a crossroads with AI emerging as a transformative force, and Immens aims to capture that window of opportunity. The company is working toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month.
Brussee notes that the development timeline has already outpaced their original expectations—what was projected to take until year‑end is now on track for a much earlier launch. Regarding the business model, Immens has not finalized its approach.
While they admire Epic Games’ revenue‑share philosophy—"we succeed when you succeed"—they consider it premature to make firm commitments. Ultimately, Brussee hopes Immens will empower creators to push the medium forward, fostering more risk‑taking, artistic expression, and innovation. "We love games and want to see the art form evolve. If our technology can help developers build bolder experiences, that would be amazing," he concludes.