For more than a decade, Unity and Unreal have been the de‑facto platforms for video‑game creation, powering roughly 70 % of all Steam releases projected for 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have begun to gain traction, and a handful of large publishers cling to proprietary tools such as Capcom’s RE Engine, the market remains overwhelmingly dominated by the two giants. Enter Immens, a fledgling company founded by three seasoned veterans – Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient – who believe there is still space for a fresh engine and, more importantly, for a new way of building games. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
Together they are setting out to challenge the status quo. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because “the tools that existed a couple of years ago simply aren’t sufficient any more.” He argues that advances in AI‑assisted programming now make it possible to start a project from a clean slate and achieve full‑featured functionality far more quickly than before. Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, is careful to distinguish his team’s use of AI from the hype‑driven “prompt‑to‑asset” narrative that dominates headlines.
He says the AI embedded in Immens is designed to make the engine itself highly extensible. “The AI can reason over large codebases and data sets,” he notes. “If we architect the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can plug in a custom particle system, a bespoke animation pipeline, or any other feature without being limited to a tiny scripting layer.” In other words, AI becomes a productivity multiplier, not a magic wand. The motivation behind this ambitious project is the increasingly hostile economics of modern game development.
Brussee describes the current climate as “rough,” pointing out that production budgets keep inflating while the margin for error shrinks. “We need to break the cycle of ever‑rising costs,” he says. “If we can find more efficient workflows that let smaller teams ship high‑quality experiences faster and with less money at risk, we protect studios and the creators behind them.” De Jong, Immens’ chief product officer, echoes this sentiment, observing that the engine market has entered a phase of “standardisation and consolidation.” While that has produced stable foundations, it also means the industry is stuck in a monolithic approach where developers must conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines.
He envisions a future where the engine bends to the developer’s needs, offering interchangeable modules, custom shortcuts, and tailor‑made interfaces that reflect each creator’s workflow. Flexibility is a recurring theme.
De Jong stresses that Immens will not force a single way of working on its users. “You decide how much AI you want to involve and where you place it in your pipeline,” he explains.
“The architecture is deliberately open‑ended so you can build the tools that make sense for your project.” Open standards play a crucial role in that openness. Brussee points out that when assets are stored in plain‑text or widely adopted formats, any tool—whether it’s Blender, Maya, or a generative‑AI system—can read and manipulate them. “The AI can ingest those files directly, enabling smarter, more seamless integration,” he says.
This contrasts with many existing engines that act as closed ecosystems, forcing developers to jump through hoops to exchange data. The conversation inevitably turns to the broader controversy surrounding AI in game creation. Some commentators on LinkedIn and elsewhere warn of a dystopian future where a single prompt conjures a Grand‑Theft‑Auto‑style world, sparking fears of “click‑to‑game” engines that could render traditional development obsolete.
Immens’ founders acknowledge the hype but frame AI as a tool rather than a replacement. Valient believes AI will elevate the craft: “Big games and indie titles alike will benefit because AI makes every creator more capable.” He adds that, like any technology, AI can be misused, but the responsibility lies with developers to apply it ethically. Economic anxieties also surface. Critics argue that the AI‑driven game sector resembles a bubble with inflated valuations.
Valient counters that AI is not a passing fad. “When the dot‑com bubble burst, the internet didn’t disappear; it evolved,” he says. “Good products survive, and we’re focused on building a solid engine that leverages AI to speed up iteration and broaden creative horizons.” He admits no one can predict a bubble’s burst, but emphasizes that a well‑engineered tool will endure regardless of market hype. Funding remains modest.
Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed amounts, describing the capital as “reasonable.” Brussee warns against over‑funding, noting that excess cash can breed complacency. “Start‑ups need to stay scrappy,” he laughs, reinforcing the company’s lean philosophy of three founders plus a handful of helpers. Scaling the development effort is a delicate balance.
De Jong explains that building a game engine is a complex, long‑term undertaking that cannot be rushed by hiring a thousand engineers. “You need a small, focused team to make critical decisions and iterate thoughtfully,” he says. At the same time, the team must act quickly enough to capture the window of opportunity presented by AI’s rapid maturation. Immens is currently working on a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow.
The goal is to release this demo within the month, a timeline that Brussee admits is “twice as fast as we originally expected.” This acceleration underscores the very advantage they claim AI provides: shorter development cycles. The business model is still being fleshed out. While Immens appreciates Epic Games’ “we succeed when you succeed” revenue sharing approach, Brussee says it’s too early to lock in a definitive plan.
The focus remains on delivering a compelling product first. Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will catalyze a wave of innovation and risk‑taking in the medium they love.
“We’re passionate about games as an art form,” Brussee concludes. “If our engine enables more creators to push boundaries, that would be amazing.”