Unity and Unreal have long held sway over game creation, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases in 2025. While Godot has made notable strides recently and some studios continue to rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market remains largely dominated by the two giants. Against this backdrop, three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have founded Immens, a startup that believes there is still space for a fresh engine and for meaningful improvement. Their résumés read like a who's‑who of game development, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
Together they aim to challenge the status quo. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is right for a new engine, noting that “an opportunity now exists that simply didn’t exist a couple of years ago.” He pointed to AI‑assisted programming as a catalyst that could let developers start from a clean slate again. “With a lot of guidance and control, you can build something that delivers full functionality quickly,” he explained. Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they employ is not the sort of “prompt‑to‑output” magic that dominates headlines.
Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. “AI can reason over large codebases and data sets,” he said. “If we design the engine with that in mind, even small teams or solo developers can plug in custom features—like a bespoke particle system—without being limited to simple scripting.” This approach, he believes, will let creators extend the engine far more rapidly than traditional methods permit.
The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current challenges facing game developers. Brussee described the market as “rough,” emphasizing that development costs are spiraling upward, making it increasingly difficult for studios to survive. “We need new ways of working, more efficient processes that lower costs and let smaller teams deliver games faster and with smaller budgets,” he said. The goal is to break the cycle of ever‑growing expenses that threaten the livelihood of developers and studios alike.
De Jong, Immens’ chief product officer, observed that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a solid foundation, he argues that the industry now needs genuine innovation, not more of the same. He criticized the “monolithic approach” of existing engines, where developers must conform to proprietary file formats and workflows.
With AI, he envisions an engine that adapts to the user’s needs, offering interchangeable components, appendable modules, and the ability to craft personalized tools. “I can create exactly the shortcuts, features, and interface my team requires,” he said, underscoring the importance of flexibility. Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can quickly go off‑track if left unchecked.
Immens is being built so that users retain full control and visibility over what the engine does, including a complete history of actions for repeatability. This transparency allows developers to create bespoke tools for specific problems—like generating five characters with a particular trait—in minutes rather than weeks, dramatically reducing cost and effort. Flexibility is a core tenet of Immens. De Jong stressed that the engine does not impose a single workflow; instead, it lets users decide how much AI to incorporate and where.
The architecture is deliberately open, enabling seamless integration with other industry tools. Brussee highlighted the advantage of using text‑based, open‑standard file formats: “Anything can read them, the AI can parse them, and you can plug in software like Blender, Maya, or generative tools without friction.” He believes this openness solves a long‑standing interoperability problem that proprietary engines have ignored. There is a vocal backlash against AI in game development, often fueled by sensational claims that a simple prompt could generate a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience.
Immens acknowledges the hype but frames AI as a tool rather than a replacement for creativity. Valient said, “Big games will still be made because AI makes everyone better.” He emphasized responsible use, noting that any technology can be misused, but the industry must steer it toward productive outcomes.
Economic anxieties also swirl around AI, with some fearing a bubble of over‑valued startups. Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com era, arguing that while many companies will fall, the underlying technology will endure. “AI isn’t disappearing; it’s accelerating our ability to dream bigger and build faster,” he said. Immens remains cautious about funding, having secured its first commitments but keeping the exact amount private.
Brussee cautioned against excessive capital, suggesting that too much money can breed complacency and diminish the scrappy mindset needed for a startup. The team remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design. De Jong explained that building an engine is a complex endeavor that cannot be rushed by simply adding more personnel.
“You need a small, focused group to make deliberate decisions and iterate,” he noted, while also acknowledging the narrow window of opportunity presented by the AI wave. Immens is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release within the month. Brussee admitted that their timeline has already outpaced expectations: “We aimed for the end of the year; we’re already twice as fast.” The company is still refining its business model, drawing inspiration from Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” philosophy, but it remains too early for definitive statements. Ultimately, Brussee hopes Immens will empower creators to push the medium forward.
“We love games, we love the complex artistic expression they represent, and we want to see more risk‑taking and innovation,” he said. “If our technology can help bring more creativity to the industry, that would be amazing.”