For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, powering roughly 70 % of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While Godot has enjoyed a surge in popularity and some large studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been a duopoly. Into this landscape step three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—who have founded Immersive Technologies, or Immens, with the belief that there is still room for a fresh engine and, more importantly, for a better way of building games. The three founders bring an impressive résumé: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, Apple, and other high‑profile studios.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is now right for a new engine because “the tools that existed a couple of years ago simply aren’t enough.” He points to AI‑augmented programming as the catalyst that can let developers start from a clean slate again, offering “full functionality quickly under guided, controlled conditions.” Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI they are integrating is not the sort of generative‑prompt‑to‑asset hype that dominates headlines. Instead, the AI is embedded in the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. “AI can reason over large codebases and data sets,” he explains. “If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke gameplay mechanic without being limited to a tiny scripting layer.” The goal is to let creators harness AI to accelerate extensions, not to replace human creativity.
The motivation behind Immens’s AI‑centric approach stems from a bleak market reality that Brussee describes as “rough.” Game development costs are soaring, and smaller studios are increasingly unable to survive the financial risk. “We need new, more efficient ways of working that lower budgets, shrink team sizes, and speed up timelines,” he says. The trio believes that AI can help break the cycle of ever‑rising expenses by automating repetitive tasks and enabling rapid prototyping. De Jong, the chief product officer, observes that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated.
While this has given developers a solid foundation, it has also stifled innovation. “The industry is facing many challenges, and simply repeating the same processes won’t solve them,” he argues. He calls for a shift from monolithic, one‑size‑fits‑all engines to flexible platforms that adapt to the user’s workflow. Current engines force developers to conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines.
With AI, Immens aims to let the engine bend to the developer’s needs, allowing interchangeable modules, custom tools, and personalized shortcuts tailored to each project. Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword. It is “really powerful,” yet can “go off the rails quickly” if left unchecked.
Immens therefore builds transparency into the system: users can see exactly what the AI is doing, track its decision history, and reproduce results reliably. This level of control enables developers to create disposable tools for specific tasks—like generating five uniquely‑traited characters in minutes rather than weeks—without sacrificing repeatability.
Flexibility is baked into Immens’s core design. De Jong stresses that the engine does not impose a single workflow. “You decide how much AI you want to use and where you want it,” he says. The architecture is deliberately open, supporting open standards and text‑based file formats that can be read and manipulated by any tool.
Brussee notes that this openness makes it trivial to plug in software such as Blender, Maya, or other generative utilities, fostering a “smarter interface” across the entire development stack. The broader conversation about AI in games is often polarized. Some commentators on LinkedIn sensationalize the idea that a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience.
Immens’s team tempers those expectations, describing AI as a “tool” rather than a magic button. Valient believes AI will elevate the whole industry: “Big games and everything in between will be made better because AI makes everybody more capable.” He warns that the technology carries negative connotations now because it is disrupting at an unprecedented scale, but stresses that responsible use can yield productive outcomes. Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with many fearing a speculative bubble.
Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying internet persisted and the survivors thrived because they built genuinely valuable products. Immens’s strategy mirrors that philosophy: focus on delivering a high‑quality engine, let AI accelerate development, and let the market decide the rest.
He admits no one can predict whether a bubble will burst, but emphasizes that the technology itself is not disappearing. Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as “reasonable.” Brussee cautions against over‑capitalization, noting that excess cash can breed complacency.
The company deliberately stays lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—to maintain scrappiness while tackling the complex task of building an engine. Timing is another strategic factor. De Jong explains that a small, focused team can make decisive choices, whereas throwing a large workforce at the problem would be inefficient. He sees a narrow window of opportunity over the next few years as AI reshapes the industry, and Immens aims to hit that sweet spot with the right balance of talent and capital.
A proof‑of‑concept demo, showcasing a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, is slated for release this month. The team originally expected to reach this milestone by year‑end, yet they are already moving twice as fast as anticipated. When asked about business models, Brussee mentions admiration for Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” revenue share, but admits it is too early to commit to a specific approach.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to push the boundaries of interactive art. “We love games and want to see more creativity, more risk‑taking,” says Brussee. “If our technology can help bring innovative, daring experiences to life, that would be amazing.”