For years, the game‑development landscape has been dominated by two heavyweight engines—Unity and Unreal. In 2025, roughly seventy percent of all titles launched on Steam were built with one of those platforms. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have begun to gain traction, and some major publishers still rely on proprietary solutions such as Capcom’s RE Engine, the market has largely settled into a duopoly.
Enter Immersive (styled Immens), a startup founded by three industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—who believe there is still room for a fresh, more adaptable engine. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game‑tech history, with stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they see an opportunity to challenge the status quo and address the pain points that have begun to surface for smaller studios. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because “a few years ago the tools we need simply didn’t exist.” He points to the rise of AI‑assisted programming as a catalyst that can let developers start from a clean slate again, while still keeping tight control over the development pipeline.
“With guided, AI‑enhanced workflows you can get full‑featured functionality up and running much faster,” he said. Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, is quick to clarify that the AI they are integrating is not the kind that generates whole games from a single text prompt. Instead, the AI is baked into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. “AI can reason over large codebases and data sets,” he noted.
“If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can plug in a custom particle system, a bespoke animation tool, or any other feature without being limited to a handful of scripting options.” In other words, the AI acts as an intelligent assistant that speeds up the process of extending the engine, rather than replacing the developer’s creative input. The motivation behind Immens is also economic.
Brussee describes the current market climate as “rough.” Development costs continue to climb, making it harder for small teams to break even. “We need new ways of working that lower budgets, shrink team sizes, and accelerate timelines,” he argued.
The goal is to give creators a path to build high‑quality games without risking the entire studio’s livelihood. De Jong, the chief product officer, observes that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that consolidation has produced a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation.
“The industry faces a suite of challenges, and simply repeating the old methods won’t solve them,” he said. “What we need now is genuine innovation, not more of the same.” He criticizes the monolithic nature of existing engines, which often force developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows.
With AI, Immens aims to flip that script, offering an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs. Flexibility is a recurring theme. De Jong envisions a system where users can interchange modules, append new capabilities, and craft bespoke tools that match their personal workflow.
“Imagine being able to design a UI that has exactly the shortcuts, panels, and features my team needs, and then have the engine understand and support that layout seamlessly,” he explained. Valient also warns that AI, while powerful, can quickly go off‑track if left unchecked. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: developers will always be able to see what the AI is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable results. This level of oversight is crucial when, for example, generating a set of five characters with specific traits—a task that previously might have taken weeks can now be prototyped over a coffee break, then refined or discarded as needed.
The engine’s architecture deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow. De Jong stresses that users can decide how much AI assistance they want and where to apply it. At the same time, the team is committed to ensuring the AI interprets instructions correctly, preventing mis‑behaviour. Interoperability is another cornerstone.
By adopting open, text‑based standards, Immens allows external tools—whether Blender, Maya, or future generative‑AI utilities—to plug directly into the pipeline. “When files are human‑readable, any software can parse them,” Brussee said.
“That opens the door to smarter interfaces across the entire development stack, something that many proprietary engines have historically resisted.” There is a vocal backlash against AI in game creation, with some commentators sensationalizing the idea that a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience. Immens acknowledges the hype but frames AI as a tool, not a magic button. Valient believes AI will elevate the whole industry: “Big games and indie projects alike will benefit because AI makes everyone better.” He also notes the ethical responsibility to wield the technology responsibly, echoing De Jong’s sentiment that every powerful tool can be misused, but it’s up to creators to set the right guardrails. Economic concerns persist, especially regarding the hype‑driven valuations surrounding AI startups.
Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com bubble, suggesting that while many companies will fall, solid products will endure. “AI isn’t disappearing; it’s becoming a permanent part of the tech landscape,” he asserted. “Our focus is on building a great engine that leverages AI to speed up development and inspire bigger dreams.” Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its first round of commitments, though the exact amount is undisclosed and described as “reasonable.” Brussee cautions against over‑funding, noting that excess capital can breed complacency.
The company deliberately stays lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—to maintain agility and keep the development process scrappy. Balancing team size with ambition is a delicate act. De Jong explains that creating a full‑featured engine cannot be achieved by simply hiring a thousand engineers; it requires a focused, iterative approach. At the same time, they must act quickly to capture the window of opportunity presented by the AI wave.
Immens is currently targeting a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release within the month. The timeline has already outpaced their original estimate—what they thought would take until year‑end is now arriving roughly twice as fast.
Regarding the business model, Brussee admires Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” licensing philosophy but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific approach. Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will empower creators to push artistic boundaries, take risks, and deliver innovative experiences that move the medium forward. "We love games and want to see more daring, creative work," Brussee concluded. "If our technology can help make that happen, it would be amazing."