For years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, responsible for roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have made notable strides, many major publishers still lean on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—leaving Unity and Unreal with a near‑monopoly on the engine market. Enter Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient, the three industry veterans behind Immersive (Immens). Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game‑making powerhouses: Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
Together they argue that there is still room for a fresh engine, and that the current landscape is ripe for innovation. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that “the opportunity exists now to build an engine that simply didn’t exist a few years ago.” He believes AI‑assisted programming can bring developers back to a state of rapid prototyping, allowing them to start from a clean slate while still retaining tight guidance and control over the final product. Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI they are integrating is not the “prompt‑to‑art” hype that dominates headlines. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible.
“If we design the codebase with AI in mind, even solo developers can extend the engine beyond simple scripting,” he says. “Imagine a developer who wants a custom particle system—they can add it directly, rather than being forced into a one‑size‑fits‑all workflow.” This approach aims to let creators harness AI to accelerate extensions, not replace the creative process.
The motivation for this AI‑powered engine stems from the harsh realities of today’s game market. Brussee describes the environment as “rough,” noting that development costs keep climbing, making it harder for small studios to survive. “We need new ways of working, more efficient pipelines, and tools that let us produce high‑quality games with fewer people and smaller budgets,” he argues.
The goal is to break the cycle of ever‑increasing risk that threatens the livelihoods of indie developers. De Jong, Immens’s chief product officer, points out that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that standardisation has provided a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation. “The industry faces a host of challenges, and simply repeating what we’ve done before won’t cut it,” he says.
“We need a different approach—flexibility over monolith.” Current engines often force developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid toolchains. De Jong envisions an engine that bends to the user’s needs, allowing interchangeable components, custom tool creation, and personalized interfaces. “I can build tools that match my exact workflow—shortcuts, features, UI—tailored to my team and project,” he explains. Valient acknowledges AI’s power but also its volatility.
“AI is incredibly strong, but it can go off the rails quickly if you’re not vigilant,” he warns. Immens therefore places the user in full control: developers can see the engine’s decision history, ensure repeatability, and craft bespoke utilities for specific tasks. He illustrates this with a scenario where creating five characters with unique traits once required weeks of planning; now, with AI‑assisted tools, a developer could sketch the idea over coffee and generate usable assets in minutes, dramatically cutting costs. Flexibility is baked into Immens’s core.
De Jong stresses that the engine does not impose a single workflow; users decide how much AI to employ and where. “The framework is designed so you can choose your path, as long as the AI interprets your intentions correctly,” he says. Interoperability is another pillar. By adopting open, text‑based standards, Immens can communicate seamlessly with tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline.
Brussee notes, “When files are readable text, any system can parse them. Open standards let us plug in third‑party software without the usual friction that proprietary engines create.” This openness, he argues, is a major advantage over legacy engines that often act as isolated islands.
The AI debate in game development is polarized. Some commentators on LinkedIn hype “click‑to‑game” engines that could conjure Grand Theft Auto‑scale experiences from a single prompt. Immens’s team sees such visions as far‑off; they view AI primarily as a productivity tool. Valient says, “Big games will still be crafted by humans, but AI will make everyone better.” De Jong adds that AI, like any technology, can be misused, but it is the industry’s responsibility to wield it responsibly.
Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with fears of a bubble and inflated valuations. Valient likens the situation to the dot‑com era: “The internet didn’t disappear; many over‑hyped companies fell, but solid products survived.” Immersive aims to build a genuinely useful engine, using AI to speed development and expand creative horizons, regardless of market hype.
Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed amounts, describing the capital needed as “reasonable.” Brussee cautions against over‑funding, noting that excess cash can breed complacency.
The company remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design. De Jong explains the balance: a complex engine cannot be built by a million‑person army, yet timing is crucial to capture the AI‑driven window of opportunity. Immens is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI editing flow, slated for release this month. The timeline has already outpaced their original estimate: “We expected to be finished by year‑end; we’re already twice as fast,” Brussee reports.
Business‑model discussions are ongoing. While they admire Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” licensing philosophy, they admit it’s too early to lock in specifics.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immersive’s engine will empower creators to push the medium forward. “We love games as an art form and want to see more risk‑taking and creativity,” says Brussee. “If our technology can help bring more innovative experiences to life, that would be amazing.”