For years, Unity and Unreal have reigned supreme in the game‑development world, together powering roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have gained traction and some studios cling to proprietary tools such as Capcom’s RE Engine, the market has largely settled into a duopoly dominated by the two giants.
Enter Immens, a startup founded by three seasoned veterans – Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient – who believe there is still room for a fresh engine and, more importantly, for a better way to build games. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry, with experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
Together they aim to challenge the status quo and give developers a more flexible, AI‑enhanced toolkit. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because “the opportunity didn’t exist a couple of years ago.” He argues that AI‑assisted programming now makes it possible to start from scratch again, offering “full functionality fast” while still keeping developers in control.
Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI they employ is not about generating assets from a single prompt. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. "AI can reason over large amounts of data and code very well," he says.
"If we design the engine with that in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system, a bespoke animation pipeline, or any other feature without being limited to a tiny scripting layer." The motivation behind this AI‑centric approach stems from the harsh reality of today’s game market. Brussee describes it as “rough” – development costs keep climbing, and smaller studios struggle to stay afloat.
"We need new ways of working, more efficient processes that let us create games with fewer people, lower budgets, and shorter timelines," he asserts. The goal is to break the cycle that forces studios to risk everything on ever‑larger budgets. De Jong, Immens’ chief product officer, points out that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated.
While that has given developers a solid foundation, it also creates a “monolithic approach” where teams must bend to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. He envisions an engine that adapts to the user, allowing developers to swap components, append new tools, and tailor the interface to their exact needs. "I can build tools that match my background, with the shortcuts and features my team requires," he explains. Valient acknowledges that AI is powerful but can veer off course if left unchecked.
Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: users can see exactly what the engine is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable results. This level of oversight makes it possible to generate, for example, five unique characters with specific traits in the time it once took weeks, and then discard the temporary tool once the job is done.
Flexibility is baked into Immens’ design. The framework does not dictate a single workflow; instead, it lets developers decide how much AI to employ and where. De Jong stresses that the architecture must be robust enough for users to choose their own processes while guaranteeing that the AI interprets instructions correctly. Interoperability is another cornerstone.
By adopting open, text‑based standards, Immens can communicate seamlessly with popular tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline. "When files are plain text, any program can read them," Brussee notes. This openness contrasts with many existing engines that act as closed ecosystems, making it harder to integrate third‑party assets. The conversation around AI in games is often polarized.
Some critics on LinkedIn warn of a future where a simple prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, sparking fears of “click‑to‑game” shortcuts. Immens’ team sees AI not as a replacement but as an enhancer. Valient believes AI will make every developer better, even if the technology currently carries negative connotations due to its disruptive scale. Economic concerns also surface.
Many wonder whether the AI boom is a bubble with inflated valuations. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: the internet didn’t disappear, even though many early companies failed. "We’re focused on building a solid engine; AI just accelerates our dreaming and execution," he says.
Whether the market is in a bubble remains uncertain, but the team is confident that a good product will survive. Funding-wise, Immens has secured its first commitments but has not disclosed amounts, describing the capital needed as “reasonable.” Brussee warns against over‑funding, noting that excess cash can breed complacency.
The company remains lean, consisting of the three founders and a handful of helpers, a deliberate choice to stay scrappy while tackling a complex project. Balancing team size with ambition is a delicate act. De Jong explains that building an engine cannot be done by throwing a million engineers at the problem; a focused, small team is essential for making thoughtful decisions.
At the same time, there is a narrow window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry, and Immens must secure enough resources to capitalize on it without over‑expanding. A proof‑of‑concept demo showcasing generative‑AI‑driven editing is slated for release this month. The timeline has already outpaced expectations: what was projected to take until year‑end is now arriving roughly twice as fast.
While the exact business model remains under discussion, Brussee appreciates Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” philosophy but admits it’s too early for concrete statements. Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will enable creators to push the boundaries of interactive art. "We love games and want to see more risk‑taking and creativity," Brussee says.
"If our technology can help bring more innovative experiences to life, that would be amazing."