For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, responsible for roughly 70% of the titles released 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 landscape 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 the gaming world, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
Together they believe there is still room for a fresh engine, and that the next generation of tools should be built with artificial intelligence at its core. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because "the possibilities that didn’t exist a couple of years ago are now within reach." He argues that AI‑augmented programming can let developers start from a clean slate while still receiving substantial guidance, enabling rapid delivery of full‑featured functionality. Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that their use of AI is not about prompting the system to conjure assets out of thin air. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible.
"If we design the codebase with AI in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or any other subsystem without being confined to a limited scripting layer," he says. The goal is to let creators harness AI to extend the engine faster and more intuitively. The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic pressures of game development.
Brussee describes the environment as "rough," noting that production costs keep climbing and that many studios struggle to stay viable. "We need new ways of working that lower costs, shrink team sizes, and accelerate timelines," he asserts. De Jong, the chief product officer, echoes this sentiment, pointing out that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that consolidation has provided a stable foundation, it also stifles innovation.
"The industry faces a slew of challenges, and simply repeating the old playbook won’t cut it," De Jong says. "We need breakthrough ideas, not more of the same." A key criticism De Jong levels at existing engines is their "monolithic approach." Developers often have to bend their workflows to fit proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines. With AI, Immens aims to flip that dynamic, delivering an engine that adapts to the developer’s needs. "Flexibility is paramount," he explains.
"You should be able to swap components, append new ones, or build entirely bespoke tools that match your personal workflow—down to the shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you prefer." Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword. While it is "really powerful," it can also veer off course if left unchecked. To mitigate this, Immens is built with transparency and control at its core.
Users can see exactly what the AI is doing, review its decision history, and ensure reproducibility. This level of oversight allows developers to create disposable, task‑specific tools that would have once taken weeks to code. Imagine needing five characters with a particular trait; instead of laboring over a manual pipeline, a developer could sketch the requirement over coffee, let the AI generate the assets, and reuse the tool as needed—dramatically cutting costs.
The architecture of Immens deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow. De Jong emphasizes that the framework is modular, letting teams decide how much AI to incorporate and where.
"You choose the degree of automation and the points in the pipeline where AI adds value," he says. This openness extends to file formats as well.
By embracing open, text‑based standards, Immens ensures that any tool—whether Blender, Maya, or a custom generative system—can read and write data without friction. "When files are human‑readable, the AI can parse them and act on them, creating a seamless bridge between disparate software," Brussee notes. This interoperability addresses a long‑standing pain point where many engines act as closed ecosystems, hindering collaboration. The conversation around AI in game development is polarized.
Some commentators on LinkedIn hype a future where a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, fueling fear and skepticism. Immens’ team tempers those extremes, viewing AI as a powerful assistant rather than a magical shortcut. Valient believes that, eventually, "click‑to‑game" engines might exist, but for now the technology serves as a tool that amplifies human creativity. "AI is making everyone better, not replacing them," he says.
De Jong adds a note of responsibility: "Any technology can be misused; it’s up to us to apply it ethically." Economic concerns also linger. Critics warn that AI‑centric startups could be part of a speculative bubble, reminiscent of the dot‑com era.
Valient counters that while hype cycles come and go, the underlying technology endures. "The internet didn’t disappear after the dot‑com bust; it evolved. The same will happen with AI.
Companies that build genuinely useful products will survive," he asserts. Immens is not chasing inflated valuations; instead, they are focused on delivering a solid engine that leverages AI to accelerate development and inspire bigger creative ambitions.
Funding remains modest. The founders have secured "first commitments" but have not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee warns against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency. The team intentionally remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—to stay scrappy and make deliberate decisions.
De Jong explains the balancing act: a game engine is a complex undertaking that cannot be solved by throwing a million engineers at it, yet there is a narrow window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry. "We need enough resources to hit that window without over‑staffing," he says. Immens is currently racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow.
The prototype is slated for release this month, and development has already outpaced original timelines. "We expected to be ready by year‑end, but we’re two‑times faster than anticipated," Brussee reports.
The business model is still under discussion. While they admire Epic Games’ philosophy of succeeding when developers succeed, Immens is not ready to make definitive statements about pricing or licensing. Ultimately, the trio hopes their engine will empower creators to push the medium forward. "We love games and want to see more daring, artistic expression," Brussee concludes.
"If our technology helps studios take bigger risks and innovate, that would be amazing."