For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the de‑facto platforms for creating video games, accounting for roughly seventy percent of all titles released on Steam in 2025. While Godot has made noticeable strides recently and large studios still lean on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been dominated by these two giants. Enter Immens, a startup founded by three seasoned industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who‑is‑who of game development, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
Together they argue that the current engine landscape still has room for a fresh contender, especially one that leverages artificial intelligence in a pragmatic way. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because “the tools that existed a few years ago simply don’t address the challenges we face today.” He believes AI‑assisted programming can revive the ability to build from the ground up without the massive overhead that traditionally accompanies engine development. “With guided, controllable AI you can get full‑featured systems up and running quickly,” he said.
Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they are embedding isn’t the kind that generates entire games from a single prompt. Instead, it serves as a powerful extension mechanism for the engine’s codebase.
“If we design the architecture with AI in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke gameplay mechanic without having to rewrite large sections of the engine,” he noted. This extensibility is meant to empower smaller teams to iterate faster, using AI as a productivity booster rather than a replacement for human creativity.
The motivation behind Immens is also a reaction to the increasingly hostile economics of game production. Brussee described the current climate as “rough,” pointing out that development costs keep climbing, making it harder for studios to survive. He asked whether new workflows could break the cycle of ever‑larger budgets and longer timelines. “We need to find ways to make games with fewer people, less money, and in less time, so creators aren’t forced to gamble their livelihoods on a single title.” De Jong, the chief product officer, highlighted a trend of “standardisation and consolidation” in the engine market.
While this has provided a stable foundation, he argues that the industry now needs genuine innovation. “Continuing to do exactly what we’ve always done won’t solve the new challenges we face,” he said. He criticized the monolithic nature of existing engines, which often lock developers into proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines.
With AI, De Jong envisions an engine that adapts to the developer’s workflow, allowing users to swap, append, or modify components on the fly. “I can craft tools that match my personal shortcuts, UI preferences, and project‑specific needs,” he explained. Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can “go off the rails” if left unchecked. Immens therefore aims to keep the user in full control, offering transparent histories of AI actions so developers can reproduce results reliably.
He illustrated this with a hypothetical: instead of spending weeks designing five characters with a particular trait, a developer could sketch the concept over coffee, let the AI generate the assets, and then discard the temporary tool after use. This kind of on‑demand workflow, he argued, could dramatically reduce costs.
Flexibility is a core design principle for Immens. De Jong stressed that the engine does not impose a single workflow; teams decide how much AI to incorporate and where. The architecture is built around open standards, meaning files are often plain text and easily readable by any tool. Brussee added that this openness enables seamless integration with popular software such as Blender, Maya, or other generative pipelines.
“When everything talks the same language, you can plug in any component without fighting against a closed‑source engine,” he said. The broader community has mixed feelings about AI in game development. Some pundits on LinkedIn hype the idea that a prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, fueling a backlash.
Immens acknowledges the hype but frames AI as a “tool, not a magic button.” Valient believes AI will make every developer better, even if the term currently carries negative connotations due to its disruptive potential. De Jong echoed this, urging responsible use: “Any technology can be misused; it’s our duty to ensure it serves creators, not the other way around.” Economic anxieties also swirl around the AI boom, with fears of a bubble and inflated valuations. Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies will fail, the underlying technology will persist.
“AI isn’t disappearing; it’s just evolving. Our focus is on building a solid engine that leverages AI to accelerate development, not on chasing hype.” Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against excessive capital, saying it can breed complacency: “Too much money can make a startup lazy; being scrappy keeps us focused.” The team currently consists of the three founders plus a handful of helpers, a deliberate choice to stay lean while tackling the complex task of engine creation. Immens is racing 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 estimate—what they thought would take a year is now half that time. When asked about the business model, Brussee mentioned admiration for Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” revenue share, but admitted it’s too early to commit to a specific approach. Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will enable games that push artistic boundaries and encourage risk‑taking.
“We love games and want to see more creativity,” Brussee concluded. “If our technology helps developers build bold, innovative experiences, that would be amazing."