For years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game creation, powering roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While the open‑source Godot engine has gained traction 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 Immens, a startup founded by three industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient.
Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game development, 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 the idea of building a modern engine from the ground up seemed impossible," he said. "Now, with AI‑assisted programming, we can start from scratch again while still delivering full‑featured tools quickly." Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI component is not about generating assets with a single prompt.
"Our AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible," he noted. "Because AI can analyse large codebases and data sets, we can design the engine so that even solo developers or small teams can add custom systems—like a bespoke particle effect—without being limited to simple scripting. The goal is to let creators extend the engine rapidly using AI as a helper, not as a replacement for thoughtful engineering." The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic pressures of game development. Brussee described the environment as "rough" and warned that production costs are spiralling.
"Making games is becoming increasingly expensive, and the risk to studios is growing. We need new workflows that cut costs, shrink team sizes, and accelerate timelines, otherwise creators are forced to gamble their livelihoods on massive budgets," he argued.
De Jong, the chief product officer, pointed out that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has given developers a reliable foundation, it also stifles innovation. "The industry is at a crossroads.
Continuing with the same monolithic tools won’t solve the challenges we face. We need a fresh approach that embraces flexibility and creativity," he said. One of the pain points with existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers often have to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines.
De Jong believes AI can flip that script by allowing the engine to adapt to the user’s needs. "Imagine an engine where you can swap modules, append new functionality, or build entirely custom tools that match your workflow—down to the exact shortcuts and UI layout you prefer.
That level of flexibility is what we aim to provide," he explained. Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can behave unpredictably if left unchecked. "We are building Immens so that the user remains in full control.
You can see exactly what the engine is doing, review its history, and reproduce results reliably. This transparency is essential for a creative process that often requires rapid iteration, such as generating multiple character variants on the fly," he said.
Immens’s design philosophy rejects a one‑size‑fits‑all workflow. De Jong emphasized that the framework is intentionally agnostic: "You decide how much AI you want to incorporate and where. The architecture is open enough to let you choose your own pipeline while ensuring the AI understands the context correctly." Interoperability is another cornerstone of the platform. By relying on open, text‑based standards, Immens aims to play nicely with tools like Blender, Maya, and other generative software.
"When files are human‑readable, any program can parse them. This makes it trivial for AI to read, modify, or generate assets, and for developers to plug in their favorite tools without fighting proprietary barriers," Brussee said. The conversation around AI in game development is polarized.
Some commentators on LinkedIn hype the notion of "click‑to‑game" experiences that could produce Grand Theft Auto‑level worlds from a single prompt. While Immens acknowledges that such a future might eventually be feasible, the team stresses that AI should be viewed as an empowering tool rather than a magic wand.
"AI will make developers better, not replace them. It’s a disruptive technology, but like any tool, its impact depends on how responsibly we use it," Valient asserted. Economic anxieties also linger, with many questioning whether AI startups are caught in a speculative bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: "The internet didn’t disappear after the bubble burst; the weak players fell away, and the strong ones survived.
We’re focused on building a solid engine that stands on its own merits, using AI to accelerate development and inspire bigger dreams. Whether the market is a bubble is uncertain, but we’re not betting on hype—we’re betting on quality." Funding for Immens remains modest. The founders have secured initial commitments but 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," he laughed.
The team itself is tiny—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers. They believe a lean structure is essential for making decisive technical choices.
"Building an engine is a complex undertaking; you can’t throw a million engineers at it and expect miracles. You need a focused group that iterates, learns, and refines the product," De Jong explained. At the same time, they recognize a narrow window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry, and they are balancing the need for resources against the risk of over‑expansion.
Immens is currently developing 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 AI can streamline the creation of game assets in real time. Brussee noted that the team originally projected a year‑long timeline, yet they are already moving twice as fast as anticipated. Regarding the business model, Immens admires Epic Games’ approach of sharing success with developers but admits it is too early to commit to a specific revenue strategy.
Ultimately, Brussee hopes Immens will enable creators to push the boundaries of what games can be. "We love games and the artistic expression they embody. We want to empower more creators to take risks, experiment, and bring innovative experiences to players. If our technology can help make that happen, it would be amazing," he concluded.