For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game creation, accounting for roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have begun to gain traction, the majority of large studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example. In this landscape, the market for game engines appears almost closed.
Enter Immersive, a startup founded by three seasoned veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry, with experience at Epic Games (the makers of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
Together they believe there is still room for a fresh engine that addresses the shortcomings of today’s dominant tools. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform.
"A few years ago the idea of an AI‑enhanced engine didn’t exist," he said. "Now, with AI‑assisted programming, we can start building from the ground up again while still keeping tight control over the process. That means we can deliver full‑featured functionality much faster than before." Valient, Immersive’s chief technology officer, is quick to clarify that their use of AI is not the flashy, prompt‑to‑art style that dominates headlines.
"Our AI isn’t about generating assets on demand," he noted. "It’s about constructing an engine architecture that is inherently extensible. AI excels at reasoning over large codebases and data sets.
By designing the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can plug in a custom particle system, a bespoke physics module, or any other feature without being confined to a limited scripting layer. In short, AI becomes a catalyst for rapid extension rather than a black‑box creator." The motivation behind Immersive’s project is the increasingly hostile economics of game development.
Brussee described the current climate as "rough" and warned that production costs are spiralling. "Making a game is getting more expensive every year," he said.
"We need new workflows that shrink budgets, reduce team sizes, and accelerate timelines. Otherwise studios risk their very existence." De Jong, the chief product officer, observes that the engine market has entered a phase of "standardisation and consolidation." While this has given developers a reliable base, it also means the industry is stuck in a comfort zone.
"We’re at a point where the challenges we face—rising costs, talent shortages, and a demand for ever‑higher fidelity—cannot be solved by simply iterating on the same old tools. Innovation, not more standardisation, is what the market needs," he argued. One of the pain points De Jong highlights is the monolithic nature of existing engines. Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, which limits creativity.
With AI, Immersive aims to flip that script, delivering a system that molds itself to the developer’s needs. "Flexibility is key," he said.
"You should be able to swap components, append new modules, or completely redesign the workflow. Imagine a tool that matches your personal shortcuts, UI preferences, and project‑specific requirements—exactly the way you want to work." Valient also cautions that AI is a double‑edged sword. While it offers powerful capabilities, it can also veer off course if left unchecked.
"We’re building Immersive so that the user remains in the driver’s seat. You can see every action the engine takes, understand its history, and reproduce results reliably. This transparency lets you craft bespoke tools for specific problems—like generating five characters with a unique trait in minutes rather than weeks. Previously such rapid iteration would have been prohibitively expensive." The architecture of Immersive is deliberately agnostic.
De Jong stresses that the engine does not impose a single workflow; developers decide how much AI to incorporate and where. "Our framework is modular, allowing you to choose the level of AI assistance that fits your project.
The key is ensuring the AI interprets instructions correctly, which is why we focus on clear, open standards." Open standards are another cornerstone of Immersive’s philosophy. Brussee explains that when files are stored in text‑based formats, any tool can read and manipulate them. "If the AI can parse a file, it can act on it. More companies are adopting open standards, making interoperability smoother.
Traditional engines often act as isolated islands, but by embracing open formats we enable seamless communication with tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline. This is a major step forward that proprietary solutions have largely ignored." There is a vocal backlash against AI in game development, with some critics fearing a "click‑to‑game" future where a single prompt conjures a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience.
Immersive’s team acknowledges the hype but views AI as a tool, not a replacement for human creativity. Valient believes AI will elevate the entire industry: "Big games and indie titles alike will benefit because AI makes everyone more capable.
The current negativity stems from the sheer scale of disruption, but it’s a disruption we can manage responsibly." De Jong adds that the industry must adopt AI ethically. "Any technology can be misused; it’s our duty to guide its application toward positive outcomes." Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with many questioning whether the sector is a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies will fade, the underlying technology endures. "AI isn’t disappearing; it’s evolving.
The internet survived the bubble, and so will AI. Our focus is on building a solid engine that leverages AI to speed development and inspire bigger dreams.
Whether we’re in a bubble is unknown, but we’re building something that will outlast any hype cycle." Funding for Immersive remains modest. The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as "reasonable." Brussee warns against over‑funding, saying it can breed complacency.
"Startups need to stay scrappy. Too much cash can make you lazy, and that’s the opposite of what we aim for." The team is intentionally lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers. De Jong explains that building an engine is a complex task that doesn’t benefit from a massive headcount.
"You need a small, focused group to make critical decisions and iterate quickly. At the same time, there’s a narrow window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry.
We must balance resources to hit that window without over‑staffing." Immersive is now working toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI driven editing workflow, slated for release this month. Brussee notes that the timeline has already outpaced their original expectations, moving from an end‑of‑year target to a launch within months. Regarding the business model, Brussee says they admire Epic’s "we succeed when you succeed" approach but are not ready to make definitive statements.
The ultimate goal, he concludes, is to empower creators to push the medium forward. "We love games and want to see more daring, artistic expressions.
If our technology can help studios take risks and innovate, that would be amazing."