For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the de‑facto platforms for game creation, responsible for roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have gained traction and some studios continue to rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—the market has largely been dominated by the two giants. Against this backdrop, three seasoned developers—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have launched Immens, a new engine that they believe can carve out a niche and push the industry forward.
The founders’ résumés read like a who’s‑who of the gaming world, spanning roles at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Their combined experience gives them a unique perspective on why a fresh engine is needed. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that “the opportunity exists now to build an engine that simply didn’t exist a few years ago.” He points to the rapid advances in AI‑assisted programming as a catalyst that could let developers start from a clean slate and achieve full‑featured results much faster than before.
Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI they employ is not the kind that generates assets from a single prompt. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. “If we design the engine with AI in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke gameplay mechanic without wrestling with opaque scripting layers,” he explains. The goal is to let creators extend the engine quickly, leveraging AI’s ability to reason over large codebases and data sets.
The motivation behind Immens is also economic. Brussee describes the current development climate as “rough,” noting that production budgets are inflating and the risk of failure is climbing. “We need new ways of working that lower costs, shrink team sizes, and shorten timelines,” he says. The trio believes that by integrating AI tools, studios can break the costly cycle that threatens the livelihood of many independent creators.
De Jong, the chief product officer, observes that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a solid foundation, he argues that the industry now demands innovation rather than incremental improvements.
He criticizes the “monolithic approach” of existing engines, where developers must conform to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. With AI, De Jong envisions an engine that adapts to the user, allowing interchangeable modules, custom toolchains, and personalized interfaces tailored to each project’s unique needs.
Valient acknowledges AI’s power but also its volatility. “If you’re not careful, the system can go off the rails,” he warns. Immens is therefore built to keep the user in the driver’s seat: every AI action is logged, repeatable, and transparent.
This control enables developers to create one‑off tools—say, a script that generates five characters with specific traits—in minutes rather than weeks, dramatically reducing the cost of iterative design. Flexibility is a core tenet of Immens.
De Jong stresses that the engine does not impose a single workflow; teams can decide how much AI to incorporate and where. The architecture is deliberately open, supporting industry‑standard, text‑based file formats.
“When files are human‑readable, any tool—Blender, Maya, or a generative model—can interact with them,” Brussee notes. This openness aims to solve the long‑standing interoperability problems that have plagued many proprietary engines. The broader conversation about AI in game development is heated.
Some commentators hype “click‑to‑game” promises, suggesting that a simple prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience. Immens’ team tempers such hype, positioning AI as a powerful assistant rather than a magic wand.
Valient believes AI will elevate the craft of developers across the spectrum, making both blockbuster titles and indie projects richer. Economic anxieties also linger, with many questioning whether AI‑focused startups are part of a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying technology— the internet— persisted and flourished.
“We’re building a solid engine; AI simply accelerates our development and expands our imagination,” he says. Whether the market is overheated remains uncertain, but the founders are focused on delivering a functional product rather than chasing hype. Funding is still modest. Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as “reasonable.” Brussee cautions against excessive capital, arguing that too much money can breed complacency.
The company remains lean: the three founders plus a handful of contributors. De Jong explains that a small, focused team is essential for making nuanced architectural decisions without the overhead of a massive staff.
Immens is currently racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases AI‑driven editing workflows. The team aimed for a year‑long development cycle but has already doubled their speed, hoping to release the demo within the month.
Timeline estimates remain fluid, reflecting the experimental nature of the project. Regarding the business model, Brussee admires Epic Games’ “we succeed when you succeed” philosophy but admits it’s too early to lock in a specific strategy.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to take bigger creative risks and push the medium forward. “We love games as an art form and want to see more daring, innovative experiences,” Brussee concludes.
“If our technology can help make that happen, it would be amazing."