For years, Unity and Unreal have reigned supreme in game creation, powering roughly seventy percent of Steam releases projected for 2025. While Godot has made notable strides recently and some major studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the duopoly of Unity and Unreal still dominates the engine marketplace. Enter Immersive Technologies, better known as Immens, founded by three industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who's‑who of game development, with stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
The trio believes there is still space for a fresh engine that not only competes but also improves upon the status quo. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is now ideal for a new platform that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. “With AI‑assisted programming we can start building from the ground up again,” he explained. “Guided, yet flexible, tools let us deliver full‑featured functionality at a rapid pace.” Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they employ is not the typical “prompt‑to‑output” gimmick that dominates headlines.
Instead, their AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. “AI can reason over massive code and data sets,” he said. “If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom systems—like a bespoke particle system—without being confined to a limited scripting layer.” This approach, he added, empowers creators to iterate faster by leveraging AI as a productivity amplifier rather than a magic wand.
The motivation behind Immens’s AI‑centric engine stems from the current climate of the games market, which Brussee describes as “rough.” Development costs are ballooning, and the risk of failure is higher than ever. “We need new ways of working that lower expenses, shrink team sizes, and accelerate timelines,” he asserted. “Only then can studios protect their livelihoods and continue to take creative risks.” De Jong, the chief product officer, pointed out that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this consolidation provides a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation.
“The industry faces a host of challenges, and merely replicating past methods won’t solve them,” he said. “We need genuine innovation, not more of the same.” One of De Jong’s criticisms of existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers must adapt to rigid, proprietary file formats and workflows. Immens aims to flip that script by delivering an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs.
“Flexibility is key,” he noted. “You should be able to swap components, append new ones, and craft bespoke tools that match your personal workflow—down to the shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you require.” Valient acknowledges AI’s pitfalls, warning that the technology can “go off the rails quickly” without careful oversight. To mitigate this, Immens is built to keep users in full control of the engine’s actions, providing transparent histories and reproducible results.
“When you create a tool—say, generating five characters with a specific trait—you used to spend weeks planning and coding. Now you can prototype over coffee, run the AI‑driven tool, and discard it after a handful of uses. That level of rapid, low‑cost iteration was previously unimaginable.” The engine’s design deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow.
De Jong emphasizes that teams decide how much AI to incorporate and where to apply it. “Our architecture is modular enough that you can choose the degree of AI assistance you want, while ensuring the AI understands the context correctly.” Interoperability is another cornerstone of Immens. By adopting open, text‑based standards, the engine can seamlessly exchange data with popular tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative content pipeline. “If files are human‑readable, any software can parse them,” Brussee explained.
“Open standards let the AI read, modify, and generate assets without the friction of proprietary lock‑ins. This creates a smarter, more connected ecosystem.” The broader conversation around AI in game development is polarized. Some pundits on LinkedIn hype the notion of “click‑to‑game” experiences, claiming that a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale world.
Immens’s founders see such visions as aspirational but ultimately view AI as a powerful tool rather than a replacement for craftsmanship. “AI will make everyone better, not replace them,” Valient said. “It carries negative connotations now because it’s disrupting at an unprecedented scale, but responsible use can unlock new creative frontiers.” Economic anxieties also swirl, with skeptics warning of an AI bubble inflated by lofty valuations. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying technology endured and flourished.
“AI isn’t disappearing,” he remarked. “The bubble, if there is one, will sort itself out, but solid products built on genuine value will survive.
Our focus is on delivering a great engine; AI simply accelerates our ability to dream bigger and ship faster.” Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee cautions against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency.
“Startups need to stay scrappy,” he laughed. “A lean team forces disciplined decision‑making.” Indeed, the company currently consists of the three founders plus a handful of helpers.
Maintaining a small, focused group aligns with their belief that building an engine is a complex endeavor that cannot be rushed by sheer manpower. De Jong explains the balancing act: “You need enough talent to tackle the technical challenges, but not so many that coordination collapses. Timing is crucial; we have a window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry.” Immens is racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a full editing workflow powered by generative AI, slated for release later this month.
The timeline has already outpaced their original projection—what was expected to take until year‑end is now arriving in half that time. Brussee attributes this speed to the AI‑centric development model. Regarding the business model, Immens admires Epic Games’ “we succeed when you succeed” philosophy but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific revenue structure. The founders remain focused on proving the technology first.
Ultimately, the team hopes Immens will catalyze a new wave of artistic expression in games. “We love games as complex art forms and want to see more risk‑taking and creativity,” Brussee concluded. “If our engine can lower barriers and inspire developers to push boundaries, that would be amazing.”