For years, Unity and Unreal have been the go‑to tools for game creators, accounting for roughly 70 % of all titles launched on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have gained traction, most major studios still rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prominent example—leaving the market largely dominated by the two giants. Enter Immens, a startup founded by three seasoned industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient.
Their résumés read like a who's‑who of game development, with stints at Epic Games (the makers of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they believe there is still space for a fresh engine that addresses the shortcomings of existing platforms. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because “the tools that existed a few years ago simply don’t meet today’s needs.” He argues that AI‑assisted programming can revive the ability to build systems from the ground up, offering developers a fast path to full‑featured products while maintaining tight guidance and control.
Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI they employ is not the typical “prompt‑to‑output” model that dominates headlines. Instead, their AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. “If we design the engine with AI reasoning in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke gameplay mechanic without wrestling with obscure scripting languages,” he says.
The goal is to let creators extend the engine quickly, using AI as an accelerator rather than a replacement for thoughtful engineering. The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic climate of game development. Brussee describes the environment as “rough,” noting that production budgets keep inflating and the risk of failure grows with each additional dollar spent.
“We need new ways of working that cut costs, shrink team sizes, and speed up delivery,” he asserts. By leveraging AI to automate repetitive tasks and streamline pipelines, Immens hopes to lower the barrier to entry for smaller studios and independent creators.
De Jong, the company’s chief product officer, points out that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a solid technical foundation, it also stifles innovation. “The industry is at a crossroads,” he says.
“Continuing on the same path won’t solve the challenges we face. We need fresh ideas, not just more of the same.” One of the pain points with existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers often have to conform to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows, limiting flexibility. De Jong envisions an engine that bends to the user’s needs, allowing developers to swap components, append new features, and craft personalized tools.
“I can build an interface with shortcuts and panels that match exactly how my team works,” he explains. This level of customization, powered by AI, could dramatically reduce the time spent on boilerplate development. Valient acknowledges AI’s double‑edged sword: while it is “really powerful,” it can also “go off the rails” if left unchecked.
Immens therefore places control firmly in the hands of the user. The engine logs its actions, maintains a clear history, and ensures repeatability, so developers always know what the AI is doing and can intervene when necessary.
This transparency is crucial for creating reliable, production‑ready tools. The flexibility of Immens extends to workflow choices.
De Jong emphasizes that the platform does not force a particular pipeline; teams can decide how much AI to incorporate and where. The architecture is deliberately modular, supporting a range of AI integrations while preserving the option for manual control. Interoperability is another cornerstone of Immens’ design.
By adopting open, text‑based standards, the engine can communicate seamlessly with other industry tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI system. “When files are human‑readable, any program can parse them,” Brussee notes. This openness contrasts with many current engines that act as closed ecosystems, making it harder to exchange assets and data across platforms.
The conversation around AI in game development is often polarized. Some commentators warn of a future where a single prompt could generate a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, sparking fears of a “click‑to‑game” dystopia. Immens’ founders see AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement for human creativity.
Valient believes AI will make developers better, not obsolete, and stresses the responsibility to use the technology ethically. Economic concerns also swirl around the AI boom, with many questioning whether the sector is a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, arguing that while some companies will fail, the underlying technology will endure.
“AI isn’t disappearing; it’s becoming a core part of how we build software,” he says. Immens aims to build a solid engine first, using AI to accelerate development and inspire bigger dreams. Funding for Immens remains modest.
The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee warns against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency. The team remains lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—by design, allowing them to stay scrappy and make deliberate decisions.
Balancing team size with ambition is a delicate act. De Jong explains that building an engine is a complex undertaking that cannot be rushed by sheer manpower. Instead, a focused, small group can iterate thoughtfully, positioning the company to seize the narrow window of opportunity presented by the industry’s current transformation.
Immens is currently targeting a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases an AI‑driven editing workflow. The team aimed for a year‑long development timeline when they started in April, but they are already moving twice as fast, planning to release the demo within the month. This rapid progress underscores the potential speed gains AI can provide. Regarding the business model, Brussee admires Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” approach but admits it is too early to commit to a specific strategy.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to push the boundaries of the medium, fostering more risk‑taking, artistic expression, and innovation in games. In summary, Immens seeks to break the cycle of ever‑rising costs and stagnant tooling by delivering an AI‑centric, highly extensible engine that puts control back in developers’ hands. If successful, it could reshape how games are made, enabling smaller teams to produce high‑quality experiences faster and more affordably, while preserving the creative spark that defines the industry.