For many years, the game‑development landscape has been dominated by two heavyweight engines: Unity and Unreal. In fact, by 2025 roughly seventy percent of the titles launched on Steam were built with one of those platforms. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have enjoyed a noticeable surge in popularity, the majority of large studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example. The market, therefore, appears to be firmly under the control of the established giants.
Enter Immens, a fledgling startup founded by three industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game‑technology powerhouses, spanning Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they argue that the current engine ecosystem, despite its maturity, still leaves ample room for a fresh approach that better serves today’s developers. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine.
"A couple of years ago this kind of platform simply didn’t exist," he said. "Now, with AI‑assisted programming, we can start from a clean slate again and deliver full‑featured tools far more quickly than before." Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, is quick to clarify that their use of artificial intelligence is not about generating content with a single prompt. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. "AI excels at reasoning over large amounts of data and code," he noted.
"If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system, a bespoke animation pipeline, or any other feature without being confined to a limited scripting layer. The goal is to let creators harness AI to extend the engine faster and more safely." The motivation behind this ambitious project is the increasingly hostile economics of game development. Brussee described the current climate as "rough," pointing out that production budgets are soaring and the risk of failure is higher than ever. "We need new ways of working that lower costs, shrink team sizes, and shorten timelines," he argued.
"If we can make the development process more efficient, studios won’t have to gamble their entire livelihood on a single title." De Jong, Immens’s chief product officer, observed that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that standardization provides a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation.
"The industry faces a host of challenges, and simply repeating the old playbook won’t solve them," he said. "We need a paradigm shift—innovation, not more of the same." One of the pain points De Jong highlights is the monolithic nature of existing engines.
Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows, which can be a barrier for smaller teams. With AI, Immens aims to deliver an engine that molds itself to the user’s needs. "Flexibility is key," he explained. "You should be able to swap components, append new modules, or build entirely custom tools that match your personal workflow—down to the exact shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you prefer." Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can behave unpredictably if left unchecked.
To mitigate this, Immens is built with transparency and control at its core. "When you use the engine, you always know what it’s doing and why," he said.
"You can trace the history of every decision, ensuring repeatability and allowing you to craft bespoke tools for specific tasks—like generating five characters with a unique trait in minutes instead of weeks." Immens’s philosophy is deliberately engine‑agnostic. The framework does not enforce a single workflow; instead, it offers a modular architecture that lets developers decide how much AI to incorporate and where. "We want the underlying structure to be adaptable so teams can choose their own path, whether they rely heavily on AI assistance or prefer a more hands‑on approach," De Jong added.
Interoperability is another cornerstone of the platform. By embracing open standards and text‑based file formats, Immens ensures seamless communication with popular tools such as Blender, Maya, and other generative pipelines. "If the files are readable as plain text, any software can parse them," Brussee explained.
"This openness means the AI can ingest and manipulate assets directly, breaking down the silos that have historically isolated engines from the broader toolchain." The conversation around AI in game development is not without controversy. Some commentators on LinkedIn hype the notion of "click‑to‑game" engines that could conjure a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience from a single prompt. Immens’s founders acknowledge that such a future might eventually be possible, but they stress that AI should be viewed as a powerful tool rather than a magic button. "AI will make everyone better, not replace the creative process," Valient said.
"It’s disruptive, which is why it feels uncomfortable now, but responsible use can drive the medium forward." Economic concerns also swirl around the AI boom, with many fearing a bubble of over‑valued startups. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: the internet didn’t disappear, even though many early companies failed. "What matters is building a solid product," he argued. "Our focus is on delivering a high‑quality engine; AI simply accelerates our development and expands our imagination.
Whether the market is in a bubble is unknown, but we’re building something that will endure beyond hype." Funding for Immens remains modest. The team has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as "reasonable." Brussee cautioned against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency. "Startups need to stay scrappy," he laughed. "Otherwise you lose the edge that comes from solving problems with limited resources." The company remains lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers.
This intentional size allows for rapid decision‑making and focused development. De Jong explained the trade‑off: "Building an engine is complex, so you can’t throw a million engineers at it and expect instant results. You need a small, dedicated team to iterate, make hard choices, and refine the architecture. At the same time, you must time your effort to capture the current window of opportunity created by AI advancements." Immens is currently targeting a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a full editing workflow powered by generative AI, slated for release within the month.
The timeline has already outpaced their original expectations. "When we started in April, we thought we’d be ready by year‑end," Brussee recalled.
"We’re now moving twice as fast, which makes it difficult to give precise dates, but the progress is encouraging." Regarding the business model, Brussee mentioned admiration for Epic Games’ revenue‑share philosophy—"we succeed when you succeed"—but admitted that it’s too early to formalize any pricing strategy. The team remains focused on proving the technology first.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to push the boundaries of interactive art. "We love games and want to see more daring, creative experiences," Brussee concluded. "If our engine can lower barriers and inspire risk‑taking, that would be amazing for the whole industry."