For many years, Unity and Unreal have reigned supreme in the world of game development, accounting for roughly 70% of all titles released on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have begun to attract attention and some large studios still cling to proprietary tools—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—the market has largely been monopolized by the two giants.
Into this seemingly closed landscape step three seasoned veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient, the founders of Immens. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they believe there is still room for a fresh engine, and more importantly, for a new way of building games.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a novel engine because “the opportunity didn’t exist a couple of years ago.” He argues that advances in AI‑assisted programming now let developers start from a clean slate and assemble functional systems much faster than before. “With a lot of guidance and control, you can build something that brings full functionality quickly,” he said. Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI they are integrating is not the “prompt‑and‑get‑a‑game” gimmick that dominates headlines. Instead, the AI is designed to make the engine itself highly extensible.
“AI can reason over massive codebases and data,” he notes. “If we architect the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system, a new rendering path, or any bespoke feature without being limited to simple scripting.” The goal is to let creators harness AI to extend the engine at speed, not to replace human creativity.
The motivation behind Immens is also economic. Brussee describes the current climate as “rough”: development costs keep climbing, and studios are forced into a high‑risk cycle of larger teams and longer timelines. “We need new ways of working that cut costs, shrink teams, and accelerate production, so studios aren’t gambling their livelihoods on a single title,” he asserts.
De Jong, the chief product officer, points out that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that consolidation has provided a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation. “The industry now faces many challenges, and simply repeating the old methods isn’t enough,” he says.
“We need innovation, not more standardisation.” He criticises the monolithic nature of existing engines, where developers must conform to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. With AI, Immens aims to create a responsive engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs, offering interchangeable components, custom tools, and personalized interfaces. Valient acknowledges AI’s power but warns of its volatility: “If you don’t watch it, it can go off the rails quickly.” To mitigate this, Immens is built to keep the user in the driver’s seat. Every AI‑generated action is logged, repeatable, and transparent, allowing developers to understand exactly how a tool arrived at a result.
This traceability makes it possible to create throw‑away utilities—like a rapid character generator that can be built over a coffee break and discarded after use—without the massive expense traditionally associated with such pipelines. Flexibility is baked into Immens’s architecture.
De Jong stresses that the engine does not enforce a single workflow. “You decide how much AI you want, where you want to apply it, and how you structure your pipeline,” he explains. The framework is deliberately open, supporting industry‑standard file formats and interoperable with popular tools such as Blender, Maya, and other generative software.
By relying on text‑based, open standards, the AI can read and manipulate assets directly, eliminating the “weird outlier” problem where proprietary engines block seamless integration. There is a vocal backlash against AI in game creation, with some commentators on LinkedIn predicting a future where entire Grand Theft Auto‑scale experiences can be summoned with a single prompt. The Immens team acknowledges the hype but treats AI as a tool rather than a magic wand.
Valient envisions a future where AI elevates human creators: “Big games and everything in between will be made better because AI makes everyone more capable.” He also stresses responsibility, noting that any technology can be misused, but it is up to developers to apply it ethically. Economic anxieties also swirl around AI, with concerns that the sector is a bubble inflated by unrealistic valuations. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: “The internet didn’t disappear when the bubble burst; many companies fell, but the technology endured.” Immens is focused on building a solid engine first; AI merely accelerates development and expands creative horizons. Whether the market is in a bubble remains uncertain, but the founders are committed to delivering a product that stands on its own merits.
Funding for Immens is still in early stages. The founders have secured “first commitments” but have not disclosed amounts, describing the target as “reasonable.” Brussee cautions against over‑funding, noting that excess capital can breed complacency: “Too much money can make you lazy; you need to stay scrappy.” The company remains a lean operation—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—by design. De Jong explains the delicate balance: a game engine is complex and cannot be built by a massive team, yet timing is critical to capture the window of opportunity presented by AI’s rise.
Immens is now working on a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month. The team originally projected a year‑long development timeline but has already moved twice as fast, illustrating the very speed gains they promise to deliver to users. The business model is still being refined.
While Immens admires Epic Games’ “we succeed when you succeed” licensing approach, they admit it’s too early to commit to a specific strategy. Ultimately, Brussee hopes Immens will empower creators to push the medium forward, fostering more risk‑taking, artistic expression, and innovative gameplay. “We love games and want to see more creativity and daring projects,” he says.
“If our technology can help make that happen, that would be amazing.”