For years, Unity and Unreal have been the de‑facto platforms for game creation, accounting for roughly seventy percent of Steam releases in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have begun to gain traction, most large studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—leaving the market largely dominated by the two giants. Against this backdrop, three industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have launched Immens, a startup that believes there is still room for a fresh engine and, more importantly, for a fundamentally better way to build games.
Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the gaming world: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they aim to challenge the status quo. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because "the tools that existed a couple of years ago simply aren’t enough anymore." He argues that AI‑augmented programming now allows developers to start from a clean slate and assemble functional systems much more quickly than before.
"With a lot of guidance and control, you can build something that delivers full functionality fast," he said. Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, stresses that their use of AI is not the flashy "prompt‑to‑asset" hype that dominates many current conversations. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible.
"AI can reason over massive amounts of data and source code," he noted. "If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke gameplay mechanic without being confined to a limited scripting layer. The AI simply accelerates the extension process." The motivation behind this AI‑centric approach stems from the harsh economic reality of modern game development. Brussee described the market as "rough," pointing out that production budgets continue to climb while the risk of failure grows.
"We need new ways of working that lower costs, shrink team sizes, and shorten timelines," he said. "If we can make games with fewer people and smaller budgets, studios won’t have to gamble their entire livelihood on a single title." De Jong, Immens’s chief product officer, observes that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated.
While this has provided a solid technical foundation, it also stifles innovation. "The industry is facing a series of challenges, and repeating the same processes won’t solve them," he argued. "We need innovation, not more standardisation." One of the biggest pain points with current engines, according to De Jong, is their monolithic nature.
Developers are forced to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. By contrast, an AI‑aware engine could adapt to the developer’s needs, offering interchangeable modules, appendable features, and the ability to craft custom tools tailored to a specific project or team. "Imagine being able to build an interface with the exact shortcuts, features, and layout that match your workflow," he said.
"That flexibility is what we’re aiming for." Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword. While it is "really powerful," it can also go off the rails if left unchecked. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: users can see exactly what the AI is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable outcomes. This level of oversight allows developers to create disposable tools for one‑off tasks—like generating five uniquely‑traited characters in minutes instead of weeks—without sacrificing reliability.
Flexibility is baked into Immens’s design philosophy. The engine does not dictate a single workflow; instead, it provides a framework that lets creators decide how much AI to incorporate and where. "It’s up to you how you want to use it," De Jong explains. "We just make sure the architecture can support any approach while keeping the AI’s understanding of the code accurate." Interoperability is another cornerstone.
By adopting open, text‑based standards, Immens aims to play nicely with existing tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline. "When files are readable as plain text, any program can parse them," Brussee said.
"That means the AI can manipulate assets directly, and you can plug in third‑party software without fighting proprietary barriers." The broader conversation about AI in game development is polarized. Some commentators on LinkedIn hype the idea of "click‑to‑game" engines that could produce Grand‑Theft‑Auto‑scale experiences from a single prompt. Immens’s team acknowledges that such extremes may eventually be possible, but for now they view AI strictly as a productivity tool. "AI makes everyone better," Valient asserts.
"It has a negative stigma because it’s disrupting the industry at an unprecedented scale, but it’s simply another tool in our toolbox." Economic anxieties also linger. Critics warn that AI‑focused startups could be part of a speculative bubble.
Valient counters that, like the dot‑com era, the underlying technology will endure even if some companies fail. "AI isn’t going away," he says. "The question is whether we build products that are genuinely valuable.
Our goal is to create a solid engine; AI just helps us iterate faster and think bigger." Immens has not disclosed detailed funding numbers yet, only that it has secured "first commitments" and is seeking a "reasonable" amount of capital. Brussee cautions against over‑funding, noting that excess cash can breed complacency. "Startups need to stay scrappy," he laughs.
"Too much money can make you lazy." The team remains intentionally small—just the three founders and a handful of helpers. This lean structure allows for rapid decision‑making and focused development. De Jong explains the trade‑off: "You can’t throw a million developers at an engine and expect it to work.
You need a small, dedicated group to make the right architectural choices, but you also need enough resources to hit the market window created by AI’s rise. Balancing those factors is our current challenge." Immens is now working toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month. The timeline has already outpaced their original expectations; what they thought would take until year‑end is now arriving in half that time. "We’re moving twice as fast as we planned," Brussee admits, making any precise schedule hard to predict.
Regarding the business model, Brussee admires Epic’s "we succeed when you succeed" philosophy but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific revenue structure. The overarching ambition, however, is clear: to empower creators to push the medium forward.
"We love games and want to see more daring, creative experiences," he concludes. "If our technology can help developers take bigger risks and innovate, that would be amazing."