For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces shaping the video‑game development landscape, powering roughly 70 % of the titles released on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have begun to attract attention and some studios continue to rely on proprietary solutions such as Capcom’s RE Engine, the market has largely been a duopoly.
Against this backdrop, three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have launched Immens, a startup that believes there is still room for a fresh, more adaptable engine, especially one that leverages artificial intelligence. The founders’ résumés read like a who’s‑who of modern game development.
Brussee spent years at Epic Games, the creator of Unreal, and later contributed to Guerrilla Games and Apple; De Jong has a background in technical leadership at Boss Key and other high‑profile studios; Valient brings deep systems‑engineering expertise from his previous CTO roles. Together they see a gap in the current ecosystem: existing engines are powerful but often inflexible, expensive, and geared toward large teams with deep pockets. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that “the moment is right” to build a new engine because the tools that were unavailable just a few years ago are now within reach, thanks largely to AI‑assisted programming. He envisions a workflow where developers can start from a clean slate, receive guided assistance from AI, and rapidly assemble a fully functional prototype.
The goal is not to replace human creativity but to augment it, allowing teams to iterate faster and with fewer resources. Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that their use of AI differs from the hype‑driven “prompt‑to‑asset” narrative that dominates headlines. Instead, the AI is embedded in the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible.
He explained, “If we design the engine with AI in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke physics module without having to rewrite large sections of core code.” This extensibility is meant to empower smaller studios to tailor the engine to their unique needs, rather than forcing them to conform to a monolithic, one‑size‑fits‑all solution. The motivation behind Immens is also economic. Brussee described the current market as “rough,” noting that development budgets are ballooning and the risk of failure is increasing. He asked, “How can we break out of that cycle?
Can we find more efficient ways to work, reduce costs, and deliver games faster with smaller teams?” De Jong echoed this sentiment, observing that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. While standardization provides a solid foundation, the industry now needs genuine innovation to address emerging challenges. One of the pain points De Jong highlighted is the “monolithic approach” of existing engines. Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, which can stifle creativity.
With AI‑driven flexibility, Immens aims to let users shape the engine around their projects. De Jong illustrated this with a personal example: “I can build tools that match my workflow exactly—specific shortcuts, interfaces, and features—so my team can work in the way that feels most natural to us.” Valient also warned that AI is a double‑edged sword.
While it is “really powerful,” it can quickly go off‑track if left unchecked. Immens therefore places control firmly in the hands of the developer. The engine logs every decision, maintains a transparent history, and allows users to create bespoke tools that can be reused or discarded as needed.
This level of oversight ensures repeatability and prevents the black‑box scenarios that have made some developers wary of AI. Flexibility is a core design principle.
De Jong stressed that Immens does not impose a single workflow; instead, it offers a modular architecture where developers decide how much AI to incorporate and where. The engine also embraces open standards, making it interoperable with popular tools such as Blender, Maya, and other generative pipelines. Brussee noted that “as soon as files are text‑based, any program can read them, and AI can manipulate them, opening the door to seamless integration across the entire production chain.” The broader conversation about AI in games is polarized. Some commentators predict a future where entire open‑world experiences can be generated with a single prompt, sparking fears of a “click‑to‑game” era.
Immens’s team acknowledges that such extremes may eventually be possible, but they view AI primarily as a productivity enhancer. Valient said, “Big games will still be crafted by talented teams; AI simply makes everyone better.” De Jong added that responsible use of AI is a collective duty, emphasizing that any technology can be misused if not handled thoughtfully. Economic anxieties also surround the AI boom, with many questioning whether the sector is a bubble. Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com era, arguing that while some companies will fail, the underlying technology will endure.
“AI isn’t disappearing; it’s evolving. Our focus is on building a solid engine that leverages AI to speed up development and inspire bigger dreams,” he said. Funding remains modest.
Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against over‑funding, noting that excess capital can breed complacency. The company deliberately remains lean, consisting of the three founders plus a handful of helpers, believing that a small, focused team can make critical decisions more efficiently.
Immens is currently working on a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. The team set an initial target of completing it by year‑end but has already accelerated the timeline, aiming to release the demo within the month. Brussee admitted that predicting timelines is difficult when progress outpaces expectations.
Regarding the business model, Immens admires Epic Games’ philosophy of “we succeed when you succeed,” but it is too early to commit to a specific revenue structure. The founders hope that, once the engine proves its value, a sustainable model will emerge that aligns with developers’ interests. Ultimately, the trio’s ambition is simple: to empower creators to push the medium forward.
“We love games and want to see more risk‑taking, more artistic expression,” Brussee concluded. “If our technology can help make that happen, it would be amazing.”