For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game creation, accounting for roughly 70% of the titles released on Steam in 2025. While Godot has enjoyed notable growth recently and some large studios still rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been locked into the duopoly of Unity and Unreal.
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, 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 can address the shortcomings of the current offerings.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. “With AI‑assisted programming, you can start building from scratch again,” he said.
“With the right guidance and control, you can assemble a fully‑functional engine quickly.” Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they are integrating is not the kind that generates assets from a single prompt. Instead, it is designed to make the engine itself highly extensible. “AI can reason about large codebases and data sets,” he noted.
“If we architect the engine with that capability in mind, even small teams or solo developers can add custom features—like a bespoke particle system—without being confined to a limited scripting layer.” This approach aims to let creators extend the engine rapidly, using AI as a productivity catalyst rather than a replacement for human ingenuity. The motivation behind this ambitious project stems from the current state of the games market, which Brussee describes as “rough.” Development costs continue to climb, making it increasingly difficult for studios to break even.
“We need new ways of working, more efficient processes that lower budgets and shrink team sizes, so developers aren’t risking their livelihoods on a single title,” he argued. De Jong, Immens’s chief product officer, observed that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated.
While this has provided a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation. “The industry faces a host of challenges, and simply repeating old methods won’t solve them,” he said. “We need breakthrough ideas, not just more of the same.” One of the pain points he highlighted is the monolithic nature of existing engines.
Developers often have to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. With AI, Immens aims to flip that script, offering an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs. “Flexibility is key,” De Jong explained. “You should be able to swap components, append new tools, and tailor the interface to match your personal workflow.
If I need a specific shortcut or UI layout for my team, I can build it directly into the engine.” Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can veer off course if left unchecked. To mitigate this, Immens is building transparency into the system.
“When you use the engine, you remain in control and can trace every decision the AI makes,” he said. “You see the history, you can reproduce results, and you can craft bespoke tools for unique problems—like generating five characters with a particular trait in minutes instead of weeks.” This level of control is intended to keep the creative process both fast and reliable.
Immens’s architecture deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow. De Jong emphasized that users decide how much AI to incorporate and where.
“Our framework is open‑ended; you choose the balance between manual work and AI assistance, as long as the AI understands the context correctly.” Interoperability is another cornerstone of the platform. By relying on open, text‑based standards, Immens can communicate seamlessly with popular tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline.
“If the files are readable text, any system can parse them,” Brussee said. “That makes it easy to plug in third‑party software and create smarter interfaces across the entire development stack.” The broader AI debate in game development is heated. Some commentators on LinkedIn hype the notion that a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, sparking fears of a “click‑to‑game” future. Immens’s team acknowledges that such extremes are possible but view AI primarily as a tool that amplifies human talent.
“AI will make everyone better, not replace them,” Valient asserted. “It’s a disruptive technology, but like any tool, its impact depends on how responsibly we use it.” Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with critics labeling the sector a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying internet persisted and thrived.
“We’re focused on building a solid engine. AI speeds up our development and lets us dream bigger, but whether the market is in a bubble is unknown. History shows that useful technology survives, even if some players don’t.” Funding for Immens remains modest.
The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed the exact amount, describing it as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against excessive capital, which can breed complacency. “Startups that have too much money often become lazy; we prefer to stay scrappy.” The company remains lean, consisting of the three founders and a handful of helpers. This intentional small size allows for rapid decision‑making and focused iteration. De Jong explained the trade‑off: “Building an engine is complex, so you can’t just throw a million engineers at it.
You need a tight team to make thoughtful choices, yet you also need enough resources to hit the market window created by AI’s rise.” Immens is currently targeting a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month. The timeline has already outpaced their original expectations—what was projected for year‑end is now arriving in weeks. Brussee attributes this acceleration to the very AI tools they are embedding.
Regarding monetisation, Immens admires Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” model but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific strategy. Ultimately, Brussee hopes the engine will empower creators to push the medium forward. “We love games as an art form and want to see more risk‑taking and creativity,” he said.
“If our technology helps developers build innovative experiences, that would be amazing.”