For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces shaping the video‑game development landscape. In fact, by 2025 roughly seventy percent of all titles released on Steam were built with one of those two platforms.
While open‑source alternatives such as Godot have begun to attract attention, and a handful of major studios continue to rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been locked into a duopoly. Enter Immens, a fledgling company founded by three industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who's‑who of modern game‑making, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
Together they argue that there is still space for a fresh engine, and that the next generation of tools should be built with artificial intelligence at its core. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform. "A few years ago the idea of an AI‑enhanced engine didn’t really exist," he said.
"Now, with AI‑assisted programming, we can start from a clean slate and get functional features up and running much more quickly, while still keeping tight control over the code." He emphasized that the goal is not to replace developers with a black‑box generator, but to give them a highly extensible foundation that can be shaped to suit any project. Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarified what AI means for their engine. He stressed that it isn’t about prompting the system to magically conjure assets, but about using AI’s ability to reason over large codebases and data sets to make the engine itself more modular. "If we design the underlying architecture with AI in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke animation pipeline without having to rewrite large sections of the engine," he explained.
"AI becomes a catalyst for rapid extension, not a replacement for thoughtful engineering." The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic climate of game development. Brussee described the environment as "rough" and warned that production costs are spiralling upward, making it increasingly difficult for small studios to survive. "We need new ways of working that lower expenses and shrink team sizes without sacrificing quality," he said. "If AI can help us iterate faster and cut down on repetitive tasks, developers can focus on creativity rather than endless polishing." De Jong, the company’s chief product officer, pointed out that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated.
While that stability has provided a solid base, it also stifles innovation. "The industry faces a host of challenges, and simply repeating the same workflows isn’t enough," he argued. "We need a paradigm shift—flexibility, adaptability, and tools that evolve with the developer’s needs." One of the pain points with existing engines is their monolithic nature.
Developers are forced to conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, which can be a barrier for teams that want to experiment. De Jong believes AI can dissolve those constraints by allowing the engine to adapt to the user rather than the other way around.
"You should be able to swap modules, append new functionality, and craft bespoke tools that match your personal workflow," he said. "Imagine a designer who can build a custom UI with the exact shortcuts and visual language they prefer, and have the engine understand and support it instantly." Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can behave unpredictably if left unchecked. To mitigate this, Immens is being built with transparency and control at its core.
Users will be able to see exactly what the AI is doing, review its decision history, and ensure that any generated code is repeatable and auditable. This level of oversight is intended to keep the creative process grounded and prevent the technology from “going off the rails.” The team envisions a future where routine tasks—such as generating five characters with a specific trait—can be completed in minutes rather than weeks.
"Previously you’d spend days planning and scripting; now you could sketch an idea over coffee, let the AI produce a prototype, use it a handful of times, and discard it if it doesn’t fit," Valient said. "That speed and flexibility were previously unaffordable for most indie studios." Immens’ architecture deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow.
De Jong stressed that developers will decide how much AI assistance they want and where to apply it. The engine will support open standards, meaning that text‑based asset files can be read and manipulated by any compatible tool.
"If you’re using Blender, Maya, or a generative‑art system, you can plug it directly into Immens because everything speaks the same open language," Brussee explained. This interoperability contrasts with many commercial engines that act as closed ecosystems, making it harder to integrate third‑party software. There is a vocal backlash against AI in game creation, often fueled by sensational claims that a single prompt could generate a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience.
Immens’ founders acknowledge the hype but view AI as a tool rather than a magic wand. "One day we might see ‘click‑to‑game’ engines, but for now the technology is about empowering creators, not replacing them," Valient said. "AI is making everyone better; it’s a catalyst, not a substitute." Economic concerns also swirl around the AI boom, with many fearing a bubble of over‑valued startups.
Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies will fail, the underlying technology will endure. "AI isn’t disappearing; it’s becoming a permanent part of the development stack, just like the internet did," he said. "Our focus is on building a solid engine that leverages AI to accelerate innovation, regardless of market hype." Funding for Immens remains modest. The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as "reasonable." Brussee warned that excessive capital can breed complacency, stating, "Too much money can make a startup lazy; we prefer to stay scrappy and resourceful." The company remains a lean operation—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers.
This small size is intentional, as De Jong explained that building a sophisticated engine does not require a massive team, but rather a focused group that can make deliberate decisions. "We have a narrow window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry," he said. "We need enough resources to hit that moment, but not so many that we lose agility." Immens is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow.
The team aims to release this demo within the month, having already accelerated their timeline dramatically. "When we started in April we thought we’d be at the end of the year," Brussee recalled. "We’re now twice as fast as expected, which makes it hard to predict exact milestones." Regarding monetization, Brussee mentioned admiration for Epic Games’ “we succeed when you succeed” model, but admitted it’s too early to commit to a specific approach.
The ultimate ambition, he said, is to enable creators to push the artistic boundaries of games. "We love games and want to see more daring, creative experiences.
If our technology can help studios take bigger risks and innovate, that would be amazing," he concluded.