For years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game creation, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases projected for 2025. While Godot has enjoyed notable growth and some studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been a duopoly. Yet three seasoned industry veterans, Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient, see an opening for a fresh alternative.
Their collective résumé spans Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple, giving them a breadth of experience that equips them to challenge the status quo. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is ripe for a new engine, one that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. He highlighted the role of AI‑assisted programming, suggesting that developers can now return to building from the ground up under guided, controlled conditions, achieving full functionality in a fraction of the usual time. Valient, Immersive’s chief technology officer, clarifies that their use of AI diverges from the hype‑driven “prompt‑to‑content” narrative.
Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. By designing the codebase with AI reasoning in mind, smaller teams—or even solo developers—can plug in custom features such as bespoke particle systems without being confined to limited scripting layers. This approach aims to let creators augment the engine swiftly, leveraging AI as a catalyst for extension rather than as a magical content generator. The motivation behind this AI‑powered platform stems from a bleak industry climate.
Brussee describes the current environment as "rough," noting that game production costs are soaring and success is increasingly elusive. He questions whether new workflows can break the cycle of ever‑rising budgets, enabling studios to deliver titles faster, with fewer staff, and at lower financial risk. De Jong, the chief product officer, observes that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a solid foundation, he argues that the industry now needs genuine innovation, not merely more of the same.
He criticizes the "monolithic" nature of existing engines, which force developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines. With AI, Immersive envisions an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs, allowing interchangeable components, custom toolchains, and personalized interfaces tailored to individual workflows. Valient acknowledges AI’s power but warns of its volatility. To keep developers in the driver’s seat, Immersive is building transparency into the engine: users can see what the AI is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable outcomes.
This level of control makes it possible to create throw‑away tools for specific tasks—like generating five characters with a unique trait—in minutes rather than weeks, dramatically cutting costs. Flexibility is a core design principle.
De Jong stresses that Immersive does not impose a single workflow; instead, the framework and architecture are deliberately open, letting teams decide how much AI to employ and where. Open standards also play a crucial role.
By using text‑based, interoperable file formats, the engine can seamlessly communicate with tools such as Blender, Maya, or other generative pipelines. This contrasts with many current engines, which act as closed ecosystems that hinder cross‑tool integration. The broader AI debate in game development is polarized. Some commentators sensationalize AI, claiming that a simple prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience.
Immersive’s team sees such "click‑to‑game" visions as distant possibilities, emphasizing that AI should be regarded as a powerful tool that amplifies human creativity rather than replaces it. Valient notes that AI’s disruptive impact is causing negative perceptions, but ultimately it will make developers better at their craft. Economic concerns also surface, with critics labeling the AI boom a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, arguing that while many companies will fail, the underlying technology—like the internet—will endure.
Immersive’s focus remains on delivering a high‑quality engine; AI merely accelerates development and expands creative horizons. Whether the market is in a bubble remains uncertain, but the team believes that a solid product will survive any downturn. Funding details are still vague. Immersive has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee cautions against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency.
The company intentionally stays lean, consisting of the three founders and a handful of helpers, to maintain agility and scrappiness. Balancing team size with ambition is a delicate act. De Jong explains that building an engine is complex and cannot be rushed by simply adding personnel. A small, focused group can make thoughtful decisions, while still scaling enough to capture the emerging window of opportunity presented by AI advancements.
The goal is to hit that sweet spot before the market shifts again. Currently, Immersive is 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 original expectations—what was projected to take until year‑end is now arriving roughly twice as fast. Business model considerations are still evolving. While the team admires Epic’s "we succeed when you succeed" licensing philosophy, they deem it premature to commit to a specific approach.
Ultimately, Brussee hopes the engine will empower creators to push artistic boundaries, take risks, and foster innovation across the industry. "We love games and want to see more creativity and risk‑taking," he says. "If our technology can help make that happen, that would be amazing."