For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, powering roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While Godot has enjoyed a surge in popularity and some major studios still rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been locked into the two giants. Against this backdrop, three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have launched Immens, a startup that believes there is still room for a fresh engine and, more importantly, room for meaningful improvement.
The founders bring a résumé that reads like a who’s‑who of game‑making powerhouses: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is now right for a new engine, noting that "a few years ago the kind of platform we envision didn’t exist." He sees AI‑assisted programming as the catalyst that can finally let developers start from a clean slate, offering “full functionality fast” under a framework that still provides strong guidance and control. Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, is quick to clarify that the AI they are integrating is not the flashy, prompt‑to‑image style that dominates headlines. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible.
"AI can reason about large amounts of data and source code very well," he explained. "If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom systems—like a bespoke particle effect—without being confined to a limited scripting layer. The AI helps them extend the engine quickly and safely." The motivation behind this AI‑powered engine is rooted in the current economic climate of the games industry. Brussee describes the environment as "rough," pointing out that development costs keep climbing, making it harder for studios to stay viable.
He asks whether new workflows can break the cycle of ever‑increasing budgets and larger teams, allowing creators to build games faster, with fewer people, and at lower risk. De Jong, the chief product officer, adds that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that consolidation provides a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation.
"We need innovation, not more standardisation," he says. "The industry faces many challenges, and simply repeating old methods won’t solve them." One of De Jong’s key criticisms of existing engines is their monolithic nature.
Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, which can be a barrier to creativity. With AI, Immens aims to flip that script, delivering an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs.
"Flexibility is essential," he notes. "You should be able to swap components, append new features, and craft tools that match your personal workflow—down to the exact shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you require." Valient acknowledges that AI, while powerful, can be unpredictable if left unchecked. To mitigate this, Immens is built to keep users in the driver’s seat: the engine records its actions, offers a clear history, and ensures repeatable results.
This transparency lets developers create disposable, task‑specific tools—like a quick generator for five characters with a particular trait—that would previously have taken weeks to implement. "Now you can sketch something out over coffee, run it through the engine, and have a reusable workflow for a fraction of the cost," he says.
The platform is deliberately agnostic about workflow. De Jong stresses that Immens does not impose a single way of working; instead, it provides a modular architecture that lets teams decide how much AI to incorporate and where. This openness extends to file formats as well. By embracing open, text‑based standards, Immens ensures that assets from tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline can be read and manipulated directly.
"When files are text‑based, any program can parse them," Brussee explains. "That opens the door for smarter interfaces and seamless interoperability, something proprietary engines have struggled with." The broader conversation around AI in game development is heated. Some commentators on LinkedIn hype the idea that a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, fueling fear and backlash. Immens’ team acknowledges the hype but frames AI as a tool rather than a replacement for human creativity.
Valient believes that AI will ultimately make developers better, even if the term currently carries negative connotations due to its disruptive scale. Economic anxieties 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 vanished, the underlying technology— the internet—persisted and flourished.
"AI isn’t disappearing; it’s evolving. Some firms will fail, but the good ones that deliver real value will survive," he says. Immens focuses on building a solid engine first; AI simply accelerates the process and expands the creative horizon. Funding remains modest.
Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee warns against over‑funding, noting that too much capital can breed complacency. The company deliberately stays lean, consisting of the three founders plus a handful of helpers.
This small, scrappy team is intentional; building a complex engine requires careful decision‑making that cannot be rushed by sheer manpower. Immens is currently aiming for 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 expectations—what they thought would take until year‑end is now arriving in half that time. Regarding the business model, Brussee admires Epic Games’ philosophy of succeeding when developers succeed, but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific approach.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to push the medium forward, fostering more risk‑taking, artistic expression, and innovation. "We love games and want to see more creativity," Brussee concludes. "If our technology can help bring that vision to life, that would be amazing."