For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases in 2025. While Godot has made notable strides recently and large studios continue to rely on proprietary tools—such as Capcom’s RE Engine—the market has largely been locked into the two major players. Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient, the trio behind Immens, believe there is still space for a fresh engine and for meaningful improvements. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and Apple.
Together they intend to take on the entrenched giants. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee noted that “the moment is right to build an engine that simply didn’t exist a few years ago.” He argues that AI‑assisted programming now makes it possible to start from a clean slate again, allowing developers to assemble fully functional systems quickly while retaining tight guidance and control. Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, stresses that the AI they employ is not the “prompt‑to‑output” gimmick that dominates headlines.
Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. “AI can reason over massive codebases and data sets,” he explains.
“If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom features—like a bespoke particle system—without being limited to simple scripting.” This approach, he says, empowers creators to extend the engine rapidly using AI as a productivity aid. The motivation for this AI‑powered engine stems from the current climate of the games market, which Brussee describes as “rough.” Development costs are climbing, making it increasingly difficult for studios to turn a profit.
“We need new ways of working that cut expenses, let smaller teams deliver faster, and reduce the financial risk to developers and their studios,” he says. De Jong, Immens’s chief product officer, observes that the engine landscape has become standardized and consolidated, providing a solid foundation but also stifling innovation. “The industry faces a host of challenges, and simply repeating the old methods won’t solve them,” he asserts.
“What we need now is genuine innovation, not more standardization.” One of De Jong’s criticisms of existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows.
With AI, however, Immens aims to deliver an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs. “Flexibility is key,” he says. “You should be able to swap components, add new tools, and tailor the interface to your exact workflow—down to the shortcuts and features that your team relies on.” Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword. While it is “really powerful,” it can also “go off the rails quickly if you don’t monitor it.” Immens therefore puts control at the user’s fingertips.
“You always know what the engine is doing, you can trace its history, and you can reproduce results reliably,” he explains. This transparency lets creators build bespoke tools for specific problems—for example, generating five characters with a particular trait in minutes rather than weeks—dramatically lowering cost and time. The platform is deliberately built without imposing a single workflow.
De Jong emphasizes that the architecture is modular, allowing users to decide how much AI to incorporate and where. “We need to ensure the AI interprets instructions correctly, but the choice of how to use it remains entirely up to the developer.” Interoperability is another cornerstone. Immens will rely on open standards so that assets can flow freely between tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI system. “When files are text‑based, any program can read them,” Brussee notes.
“Open standards let the AI parse and manipulate those files, creating smarter interfaces across the entire pipeline. That’s something proprietary engines have struggled with.” There is a vocal backlash against AI in game creation, often fueled by sensational claims on social media that a simple prompt could spawn a Grand‑Theft‑Auto‑scale experience.
Immens’s team concedes that “click‑to‑game” engines might someday exist, but they view AI primarily as an enhancer, not a replacement. “AI will make every developer better,” Valient says, adding that the technology currently carries negative connotations because it is disrupting the industry at an unprecedented scale.
De Jong stresses responsible usage: “AI is a tool, like any other humanity has built. It can be misused, but it’s our duty to steer it toward productive ends.” Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with many questioning whether the sector is a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, arguing that while some companies will fail, solid products and technologies will endure. “AI isn’t disappearing; it’s accelerating our ability to dream bigger and build faster.” Immens has yet to disclose formal investment figures, though it has secured its “first commitments” and describes the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee warns against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency.
The company remains lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—by design. De Jong explains the trade‑off: a massive team doesn’t guarantee success in such a complex undertaking; a focused, agile group can make deliberate decisions and hit the narrow market window created by AI’s rise.
The team is currently targeting a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release this month. Brussee admits they originally expected the project to stretch to year‑end, but they are already moving twice as fast as anticipated, making timeline predictions difficult. Regarding monetization, Immens admires Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” model but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific approach. Ultimately, Brussee hopes the engine will enable creators to push the medium forward, fostering more artistic risk‑taking and innovation.
“We love games and want to see more daring, expressive experiences,” he says. “If our technology can help bring that vision to life, that would be amazing."