For years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, powering roughly 70% of the titles released on Steam in 2025. While Godot has enjoyed a surge in popularity and some studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—the market has largely been locked into the duopoly of Unity and Unreal. Enter Immersed in a new kind of ambition: three seasoned veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—believe there is still space for a fresh engine that can address the shortcomings of the current landscape.
Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry, with stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they have founded Immens, a startup that plans to harness AI‑assisted programming to give developers a more adaptable, cost‑effective toolset. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because "the technology that would make it possible didn’t exist a couple of years ago." He argues that AI‑supported coding can let developers start from a clean slate again, providing rapid, guided creation of functional systems without the massive overhead traditionally associated with building an engine from scratch. Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI they are integrating is not the flashy "prompt‑to‑asset" kind that dominates headlines.
Instead, their approach focuses on making the engine itself highly extensible. "AI can reason about large codebases and data sets very well," he says.
"If we design the architecture with that in mind, even a solo developer can plug in a custom particle system or a bespoke animation pipeline without being confined to a limited scripting layer. The goal is to let users extend the engine quickly and safely." The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the harsh economic reality of modern game production. Brussee describes the current climate as "rough," noting that development costs keep climbing and the risk of failure is higher than ever. "We need new ways of working that lower budgets and shrink team sizes without sacrificing quality," he asserts.
"If we can make the process more efficient, studios won’t have to gamble their entire livelihood on a single title." De Jong, the chief product officer, points out that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has given developers a solid foundation, it also means the industry is stuck in a comfort zone. "We’re at a point where the challenges—rising costs, talent shortages, and creative stagnation—demand innovation, not more of the same," he says.
"A monolithic engine forces developers to bend to its conventions, proprietary file formats, and rigid toolchains. With AI, we can flip that script and let the engine adapt to the creator." Flexibility is a core tenet of Immens. De Jong envisions an environment where developers can swap components, append new modules, and craft tailor‑made tools that match their personal workflows.
"Imagine being able to build an interface with exactly the shortcuts, features, and visual layout that your team needs," he explains. "That level of customization has been out of reach for most indie studios because existing engines lock you into their design." Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword. While it offers immense power, it can also produce unpredictable results if left unchecked.
To mitigate this, Immens is built around transparency and control. Users will always be able to trace what the AI does, view its decision history, and ensure repeatable outcomes.
This auditability is crucial when the engine is used to generate assets on the fly—such as creating five characters with specific traits in minutes rather than weeks. The architecture of Immens deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow. De Jong stresses that teams can decide how much AI assistance they want and where to apply it.
"Our framework is modular, so you can plug in AI where it makes sense and keep manual control elsewhere," he says. "The key is that the AI must understand the context correctly, which is why we’re investing heavily in robust data models." Interoperability is another pillar of the project. By adopting open, text‑based standards, Immens aims to play nicely with the broader ecosystem of tools like Blender, Maya, and other generative pipelines. "When files are human‑readable, any program can parse them," Brussee notes.
"That means the AI can read, modify, and export assets without needing proprietary bridges. Open standards are finally catching on, and we want to be at the forefront of that movement." There is a vocal backlash against AI in game development, with some commentators warning that future "click‑to‑game" engines could reduce creativity to a series of prompts.
Immens’ founders acknowledge the hype but view AI as a tool rather than a replacement for human talent. Valient believes AI will make developers better, not obsolete, and that responsible use will ultimately enrich the medium. Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with many fearing a speculative bubble.
Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many startups will fail, the underlying technology—like the internet—will persist and evolve. "We’re focused on building a solid engine first; AI simply accelerates our ability to dream bigger and iterate faster," he says. "Whether the market is in a bubble is uncertain, but the technology isn’t going away." Funding for Immens remains modest at this stage.
The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as "reasonable." Brussee warns against over‑capitalization, noting that too much money can breed complacency. "Startups need to stay scrappy," he laughs, emphasizing that a lean team forces disciplined decision‑making.
The current team consists of the three founders plus a handful of helpers. They deliberately keep the organization small to maintain agility while tackling the complex task of building an engine.
De Jong explains the balancing act: a larger crew does not automatically translate to faster progress; instead, a focused group can make thoughtful architectural choices and iterate efficiently. Immens is now racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. The goal is to release this demo within the month, demonstrating how quickly developers can manipulate assets and code through AI assistance.
Brussee reveals that the timeline has already been halved: "When we started in April we thought we’d be at this point by year‑end, but we’re two‑times faster than expected." The business model is still taking shape. While Immens admires Epic Games’ revenue‑share philosophy—"we succeed when you succeed"—they admit it is too early to commit to a specific pricing structure. The team’s primary focus remains on delivering a high‑quality engine that empowers creators.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will rekindle the spirit of experimentation that defined early game development. "We love games as an art form and want to see more risk‑taking and innovation," Brussee concludes.
"If our technology can help studios push boundaries and bring fresh experiences to players, that would be amazing."