Unity and Unreal have long been the dominant forces in game development, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have gained traction and some studios such as Capcom rely on proprietary solutions like the RE Engine, the market remains heavily concentrated around the two giants.
Enter Immersive, a startup founded by three industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—who believe there is still room for a fresh engine that addresses the shortcomings of the status quo. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game‑making: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they aim to challenge the entrenched players with a platform built around artificial intelligence.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because “the tools that existed a few years ago simply aren’t sufficient anymore.” He argues that AI‑assisted programming can bring developers back to a state of rapid prototyping, allowing them to construct functional systems from scratch under tight guidance and control. In his view, this approach can dramatically shorten the path from concept to playable feature. Valient, Immersive’s chief technology officer, stresses that their use of AI is not about generating content through vague prompts. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible.
“The AI can reason over large codebases and data sets,” he says. “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 handful of scripting hooks.” The goal is to let creators extend the engine quickly, leveraging AI as a productivity amplifier rather than a magic wand. The motivation behind this ambitious project is the increasingly hostile economics of game development. Brussee describes the current climate as “rough,” noting that production budgets are ballooning and the risk of failure is soaring.
He asks whether the industry can discover more efficient workflows that allow smaller teams to ship high‑quality experiences without jeopardizing their studios’ survival. De Jong, Immersive’s chief product officer, echoes this sentiment, observing that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated.
While standardization provides a solid foundation, he argues that the sector now needs genuine innovation, not more of the same. One of the pain points De Jong highlights is the monolithic nature of existing engines. Developers often have to conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, which stifles creativity. With AI, Immersive envisions an engine that adapts to the user’s needs rather than forcing users to adapt to it.
“Flexibility is key,” he explains. “You should be able to swap components, append new functionality, and craft tools that match your personal workflow—down to the exact shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you require.” Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword. While it is incredibly powerful, it can also produce erratic results if left unchecked. To mitigate this, Immersive is building transparency into the system: developers will always know what the AI is doing, see its decision history, and retain full control over the output.
This repeatability ensures that AI‑generated assets or code can be trusted and reused across projects. The team also stresses that Immersive will not impose a single workflow. “It’s up to you how you want to use it,” says De Jong. “We provide a modular architecture that lets you decide the degree and location of AI integration.” This openness extends to file formats as well.
By embracing open standards and text‑based assets, the engine can interoperate seamlessly with tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline. Brussee points out that when files are readable as plain text, any AI can parse and manipulate them, opening the door to smarter, cross‑tool interfaces. There is a vocal backlash against AI in game creation, with some commentators warning that future “click‑to‑game” solutions could trivialize the craft. Immersive’s founders see AI more as an enhancer than a replacement.
Valient believes that AI will make developers better, not obsolete, and that the technology’s current negative perception stems from its disruptive scale. De Jong adds that, like any tool, AI must be used responsibly; the industry has a duty to guide its adoption in a way that benefits creators rather than harms them. Economic concerns also swirl around the AI boom, with many questioning whether the sector is a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying internet persisted and grew stronger.
He argues that Immersive’s focus is on building a solid engine first; AI simply accelerates development and expands creative possibilities. Whether the market is inflated is uncertain, but the team is confident that a well‑crafted product will survive any downturn.
Funding remains modest. Immersive 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. The company remains lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—by design.
De Jong explains that engine development is complex and cannot be rushed by throwing a million developers at it; a focused, small team can make deliberate decisions and iterate efficiently. At the same time, they must balance this with the need to seize a narrow window of opportunity created by AI’s rise.
The startup is currently building a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. They plan to release the demo within the month, already having accelerated their timeline by a factor of two compared to the original estimate. Regarding business models, Brussee admires Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” licensing philosophy but says it is too early to commit to a specific approach.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immersive will enable a new wave of daring, artistic games. “We love games and want to see more risk‑taking and creativity,” Brussee concludes. “If our technology can help push the industry forward, that would be amazing."