Unity and Unreal have long held sway over the game‑development landscape, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases in 2025. While Godot has made notable strides recently and some studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been a duopoly dominated by the two giants.
Enter Immens, a fledgling venture founded by three industry stalwarts: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. 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 even Apple. Together they believe there is still room for a fresh engine that tackles the shortcomings of today’s offerings.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform. "A few years ago this idea didn’t exist," he said. "With AI‑augmented programming, we can finally start building from the ground up again, under tight guidance, and deliver full‑featured tools much faster." Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they employ is not the “prompt‑to‑art” variety that dominates headlines. Instead, their 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 core with that in mind, even solo developers can plug in custom systems—say a bespoke particle effect—without wrestling with rigid scripting layers. The AI simply accelerates the extension process." The motivation behind this ambitious project stems from the current economic climate of game development, which Brussee describes as "rough." Production budgets are ballooning, and the risk of financial ruin for small studios is growing. "We need new workflows that cut costs, shrink team sizes, and speed up delivery," he argued.
"Otherwise developers keep betting their livelihoods on ever‑larger projects." De Jong, Immens’s chief product officer, pointed out that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that consolidation provides a stable foundation, it also stifles innovation.
"The industry now faces a suite of challenges, and repeating the old playbook won’t solve them," he said. "We need a different approach—one that embraces flexibility rather than imposing a monolithic, one‑size‑fits‑all solution." Current engines often force developers to conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines. De Jong envisions an engine that adapts to its users, allowing them to swap components, append new modules, and craft tailor‑made tools that match their personal workflows. "Imagine being able to design an interface with exactly the shortcuts, features, and layout your team needs, and have the engine accommodate it seamlessly," he explained.
Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword. While its capabilities are impressive, they can also veer off course if left unchecked. "Our goal is to keep the developer in the driver’s seat," he said. "You always see what the engine is doing, its decision history, and you can reproduce or modify it as needed.
This transparency turns AI from a black box into a reliable assistant." One practical illustration he gave: creating five characters with a specific trait used to require weeks of planning and manual work. With AI‑driven tooling, a designer could sketch the idea over coffee, generate the assets, and then discard the temporary tool after a handful of uses—saving both time and money. Immens’s philosophy is to avoid imposing any predetermined workflow. De Jong stressed that the framework and architecture are deliberately open, letting teams decide how much AI to integrate and where.
"We must also ensure the AI interprets developer intent correctly," he added. Interoperability is another cornerstone.
By embracing open, text‑based standards, Immens aims to play nicely with existing tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑art pipeline. "If the files are readable, the AI can manipulate them," Brussee explained.
"Open standards let different applications communicate without the friction that proprietary engines often introduce. This is a huge step toward a more connected development ecosystem." The broader industry reaction to AI in games is mixed. Some commentators on LinkedIn hype the prospect of "click‑to‑game" experiences that could produce Grand Theft Auto‑level worlds from a single prompt. Immens’s team, however, sees AI as a powerful supplement rather than a replacement.
Valient believes AI will elevate the quality of both blockbuster titles and indie projects, but warns that the technology’s disruptive nature fuels negative perceptions. De Jong echoed this sentiment, calling AI a tool that must be used responsibly.
"Every technology can be misused, but it’s our duty to steer it toward positive outcomes," he said. Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with many questioning whether the sector is a speculative bubble.
Valient likens the situation to the dot‑com era: the hype may fade, but the underlying technology endures. "We’re not chasing hype; we’re building a solid engine that leverages AI to accelerate development and inspire bigger dreams. Whether the market inflates or contracts, good products survive." Funding remains modest.
Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing them as "reasonable." Brussee cautions against over‑capitalization, noting that excess cash can breed complacency. "Startups need to stay scrappy," he laughed. The company remains lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers.
This intentional size allows for rapid decision‑making while avoiding the pitfalls of a massive, unwieldy team. De Jong highlighted the delicate balance: building a complex engine requires expertise, but throwing a thousand engineers at the problem won’t magically speed it up. Timing is critical; they aim to capture the window of opportunity presented by AI’s rise.
Immens is currently targeting a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month. Brussee revealed that the project, which began in April, is already progressing twice as fast as initially projected, underscoring the efficiency gains they anticipate for end users. The business model is still under discussion.
While Immens admires Epic Games’ revenue‑share philosophy—"we succeed when you succeed"—they admit it’s too early to commit to a specific approach. Ultimately, Brussee hopes Immens will empower creators to push the medium forward. "We love games as an art form and want to see more risk‑taking and creativity," he said.
"If our technology can help developers innovate and bring bold new experiences to players, that would be amazing."