For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game creation, accounting for roughly 70% of all titles released on Steam in 2025. While Godot has made notable strides recently and some large studios still rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been monopolized by the two giants. Enter Immens, a startup founded by three seasoned veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient.
Their résumés read like a hall of fame of the industry, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. The trio believes there is still space for a fresh engine that addresses the shortcomings of the current offerings.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform. “A few years ago this kind of engine didn’t exist,” he said.
“With AI‑assisted programming we can start building from the ground up again, under tight guidance, and deliver full‑featured tools much faster.” Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI component is not about generating assets with a single prompt. Instead, it focuses on making the engine itself highly extensible.
“AI can reason over large codebases and data sets,” he noted. “If we design the architecture with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can plug in a custom particle system or a unique physics module without being confined to a limited scripting layer.” This approach aims to let creators extend the engine quickly, leveraging AI to accelerate the development of bespoke features.
The motivation behind Immens’s AI‑powered engine is the increasingly hostile economics of game production. Brussee described the current climate as “rough.” Development costs keep climbing, making it harder for small studios to survive.
“We need new ways of working that cut expenses and let teams create games faster with fewer people,” he argued. The goal is to break the cycle where rising budgets threaten the livelihood of developers and studios.
De Jong, the chief product officer, pointed out that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a solid foundation, he believes the industry now needs genuine innovation rather than more of the same. “We’re at a point where the old playbook isn’t enough,” he said. “We need a different approach, not just another monolithic engine.” A key criticism of existing engines is their monolithic nature.
Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines. De Jong envisions an engine that molds itself to the user’s workflow. “It has to be flexible,” he explained.
“You should be able to swap components, add new tools, and customize the interface exactly how you need it for your project.” This level of personalization, he argues, is essential for creative teams that have unique requirements. Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can quickly go off‑track if left unchecked.
Immens therefore aims to keep developers in full control of the engine’s actions. “You’ll always see what the AI is doing, its history, and you can reproduce results reliably,” he said. This transparency is intended to make AI a trustworthy assistant rather than a black box. The flexibility of Immens extends to its workflow philosophy.
De Jong emphasized that the engine does not enforce a single pipeline; users decide how much AI to incorporate and where. “The architecture is designed so you can pick and choose the level of AI assistance you want, as long as the AI understands the context correctly.” Interoperability is another cornerstone of Immens’s design.
By adopting open, text‑based standards, the engine can communicate seamlessly with tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI system. “When files are plain text, any program can read them,” Brussee noted.
“That means the AI can parse and manipulate assets directly, and we can plug in third‑party software without the usual friction caused by closed‑source engines.” The broader conversation about AI in game development is polarized. Some commentators on LinkedIn hype the idea of creating a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience with a single prompt, fueling fears of a “click‑to‑game” future.
Immens’s team acknowledges that such extremes are possible but insists their technology is a tool, not a replacement for human creativity. “AI will make everyone better, not replace the craft,” Valient said. “It’s a disruptive force, but it’s also an opportunity for responsible, productive use.” Economic anxieties also linger, especially regarding the hype‑driven valuations surrounding AI startups.
Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com bubble, arguing that while many companies will fall, solid products will endure. “AI isn’t going away,” he asserted.
“The internet survived its bubble, and the same will happen with AI. Our focus is on building a great engine that leverages AI to accelerate development, not on chasing inflated valuations.” Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its “first commitments,” but the founders have not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against over‑funding, noting that excess capital can breed complacency.
“Startups need to stay scrappy; too much money can make you lazy.” The company remains lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers. This intentional size allows for rapid decision‑making and focused progress. De Jong explained the trade‑off: a massive team does not guarantee success in building a complex engine; a small, dedicated group can iterate faster and hit the market window created by the AI wave. Immens is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow.
The team aims to release the demo within the month, already having accelerated their timeline dramatically. “We expected to be finished by year‑end, but we’re two‑times faster than anticipated,” Brussee said. As for the business model, Immens is still exploring options. While they admire Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” revenue share, they admit it’s too early to commit to a specific approach.
Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will empower creators to push the boundaries of the medium. “We love games and want to see more risk‑taking, more artistic expression,” Brussee concluded.
“If our technology helps bring that vision to life, that would be amazing.”