For years, Unity and Unreal have ruled the game‑development landscape, accounting for roughly 70% of all titles launched on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have gained traction, most large studios still lean on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—and the market appears firmly in the hands of the two giants. Enter Immersive Technologies, better known as Immens, a startup founded by three seasoned veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient.
Their résumés read like a who’s‑who 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 today’s dominant tools.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform. "A couple of years ago the idea of building an engine from the ground up with AI assistance didn’t exist. Now the technology has matured enough that you can start from scratch and still get full functionality quickly," he said.
Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they employ is not the “prompt‑to‑art” variety that dominates headlines. Instead, their approach uses AI to make the engine itself highly extensible. "If we design the codebase with AI reasoning in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke gameplay mechanic without wrestling with opaque scripting layers," he explained.
The goal is to let creators tap into AI to accelerate extensions, not to replace human creativity. The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic climate of game development. Brussee described the market as "rough" and warned that production costs are spiralling. "Games are getting more expensive, and studios are taking bigger risks.
We need new workflows that cut costs, shrink team sizes, and shorten timelines so creators don’t jeopardise their livelihoods," he argued. De Jong, the chief product officer, added that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated.
While this has provided a stable foundation, he believes the industry now requires genuine innovation. "Continuing to do exactly what we’ve always done won’t solve the challenges we face. We need a different paradigm," he said. One of the pain points with existing engines, according to De Jong, is their monolithic nature.
Developers must conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines. With AI‑driven flexibility, Immens aims to become an engine that bends to the developer’s needs.
"You should be able to swap modules, append new features, and craft tools that match your personal workflow—down to the exact shortcuts and UI layout you prefer," he noted. Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword. While it can dramatically speed up tasks, it can also produce erratic results if left unchecked. "Our engine is built so that you remain in full control.
You can trace every decision, reproduce it, and create bespoke tools for specific problems—like generating five characters with a unique trait in minutes instead of weeks," he said. This level of transparency, he argues, mitigates the risk of the AI “going off the rails.” Flexibility is baked into Immens’ architecture. De Jong emphasized that the platform does not enforce a single workflow.
"You decide how much AI you want to involve and where. The framework is open enough to let you pick and choose, but robust enough to keep the AI’s understanding accurate," he explained. Interoperability is another cornerstone. By relying on open, text‑based standards, Immens can communicate seamlessly with tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline.
"When files are human‑readable, any system can parse them. This eliminates the siloed nature of many current engines and lets developers plug in their favorite software without friction," Brussee said. The conversation around AI in games is polarized. Some pundits on LinkedIn hype a future where a single prompt can spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, fueling fears of a “click‑to‑game” apocalypse.
Immens’ team, however, views AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement. Valient believes AI will make developers better, not obsolete, and stresses responsible usage. "Every tool can be misused.
It’s our duty to guide it toward positive outcomes," he remarked. Economic concerns also swirl, with many questioning whether AI‑focused game tech is a bubble.
Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: the internet didn’t disappear, but many over‑valued startups did. "We’re focused on building a solid engine. AI helps us iterate faster and dream bigger, but the core product must stand on its own merits," he said. Funding remains modest.
Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee warns against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency. "Startups need to stay scrappy; otherwise you lose the edge that drives innovation," he laughed. The company remains lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers.
This intentional size allows rapid decision‑making while avoiding the pitfalls of a massive, unwieldy team. De Jong explains the balancing act: "Building an engine is complex, but you don’t need a thousand engineers.
A focused core can iterate quickly and seize the window of opportunity presented by AI’s rise." Immens is currently racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. The team aimed to have it ready by year‑end, but they are already two‑fold ahead of schedule, targeting a public demo later this month.
"Our timelines have been surprisingly aggressive, which is both exciting and humbling," Brussee admitted. Regarding the business model, Brussee admires Epic Games’ “we succeed when you succeed” philosophy but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific revenue structure. The focus remains on delivering a tool that empowers creators to push the medium forward.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will catalyze a wave of daring, artistic games. "We love games as an expressive art form and want to see more risk‑taking and creativity. If our technology can help developers bring bold visions to life, that would be amazing," Brussee concluded. In summary, Immens seeks to combine AI‑enhanced extensibility, open standards, and a developer‑first mindset to break the costly, monolithic cycle that has come to dominate modern game production.
By staying lean, staying flexible, and keeping control firmly in the hands of creators, the trio aims to reshape how games are built—and perhaps, in the process, reshape the industry itself.