For years, Unity and Unreal have ruled the game‑development landscape, accounting for roughly seventy percent of all titles released on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have gained traction, the market remains heavily dominated by these two proprietary engines, with a few outliers such as Capcom’s RE Engine holding niche positions. In this environment, three seasoned veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have decided that there is still room for a fresh approach. Their new venture, Immens, aims to build an AI‑enhanced engine that promises lower costs, faster iteration, and greater flexibility for small studios and solo creators.
The founders’ résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. In a recent 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 any more.” He believes that AI‑assisted programming can revive the spirit of building something from the ground up, offering developers “full functionality quickly while still keeping a lot of guidance and control.” Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, is quick to clarify that the AI they are integrating is not the kind that generates whole games from a single prompt.
Instead, the technology is designed to make the engine itself more extensible. “AI can reason over large codebases and data sets,” he said. “If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even a one‑person team can add a custom particle system or a bespoke rendering pipeline without having to rewrite large sections of the core.” This focus on extensibility is meant to empower developers to create tailor‑made tools that fit their specific workflow, rather than being forced into a monolithic, one‑size‑fits‑all environment. The motivation behind Immens is also economic.
Brussee describes the current market as “rough,” noting that development budgets are inflating while the risk of failure grows. “We need new ways of working that cut costs and let smaller teams ship games faster,” he argued.
De Jong, the chief product officer, echoed this sentiment, pointing out that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. “Standardisation gave us a solid foundation, but now the industry needs innovation, not more of the same,” he said. He warned that existing engines often impose a monolithic approach, forcing developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines. With AI, Immens aims to flip that script, offering an engine that adapts to the developer’s needs.
Flexibility is a core design principle. De Jong envisions a system where users can interchange modules, append new features, and craft personal toolsets with the exact shortcuts, interfaces, and shortcuts they prefer. “If I need a tool that matches my background and my team’s workflow, I can build it directly into the engine,” he explained. Valient acknowledged that AI is powerful but can “go off the rails quickly” if not carefully supervised.
To mitigate this, Immens is built to keep users in the loop, providing full visibility into what the AI is doing, its decision history, and the ability to reproduce results reliably. The team also stresses openness. By relying on text‑based, open standards for assets, Immens can interoperate with popular software like Blender, Maya, and other generative tools.
Brussee noted that “any system that can read a text file can be integrated,” allowing developers to plug in external applications without wrestling with closed, proprietary formats. This openness, he believes, is a major advantage over engines that act as “weird outliers” in the ecosystem.
Despite a growing backlash against AI in game creation—some critics claim that future engines will let anyone conjure Grand Theft Auto‑scale experiences with a single prompt—the Immens founders view AI as a tool, not a replacement for creativity. Valient said, “Big games will still be made because AI makes everyone better, not because it does the work for us.” De Jong added that responsible use of AI is an industry responsibility, likening it to any powerful technology that can be misused if left unchecked. Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with many fearing a bubble of over‑valued startups. Valient dismissed the notion that AI will simply vanish, comparing it to the dot‑com era: “The internet didn’t disappear; the hype faded, but the useful technologies survived.” He emphasized that Immens’ focus is on building a solid engine first, using AI to accelerate development and enable bigger dreams.
Funding remains modest. Immens has secured “first commitments” but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as “reasonable.” Brussee warned against excess capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency. The company remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design.
De Jong explained the trade‑off: a massive team doesn’t automatically solve the complexity of building an engine; a focused, small group can make deliberate decisions and iterate faster. Immens is currently racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release within the month. The timeline has already outpaced their original estimate of a year‑long development cycle, highlighting the speed gains they claim AI can deliver.
As for the business model, Brussee said they admire Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” philosophy but are still too early to make definitive statements. Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will spark a wave of creativity and risk‑taking in the industry. “We love games and want to see more complex artistic expressions,” Brussee concluded. “If our technology can help developers push the boundaries of what’s possible, that would be amazing.”