For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game creation, accounting for roughly 70% of the titles released on Steam in 2025. While Godot has made notable strides recently and some major studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been locked into the duopoly of Unity and Unreal. Enter Immens, a fledgling venture founded by three seasoned veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry, featuring stints at Epic Games (the makers of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
The trio believes there is still room for a fresh engine, and more importantly, for a fundamentally better one. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. “With AI‑assisted programming, we can start building from scratch again,” he said.
“Guided, yet flexible, tools let us deliver full‑featured functionality much faster than before.” Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that their use of artificial intelligence is not the flashy “prompt‑to‑asset” gimmick that dominates headlines. Instead, AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible.
“If we design the engine with AI reasoning in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or a bespoke gameplay mechanic without being confined to a limited scripting layer,” he noted. The goal is to let creators augment the engine quickly, leveraging AI as a productivity accelerator rather than a replacement for human ingenuity.
The motivation behind this AI‑powered engine stems from the current climate of the games market, which Brussee describes as “rough.” Development costs continue to climb, making it increasingly difficult for small teams to survive. “We need new ways of working that lower expenses, shrink team sizes, and speed up delivery,” he argued.
“Otherwise studios risk their livelihoods on ever‑larger budgets.” De Jong, Immens’s chief product officer, observed that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation. “The industry faces a series of challenges, and simply repeating the old formula won’t cut it,” he said.
“We need a different approach—one that embraces flexibility and evolution.” A key criticism of existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, which can hinder creativity. De Jong envisions an engine that bends to the developer’s will: “You should be able to swap components, append new features, and craft tools that match your exact workflow—down to the shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you need for your project.” Valient acknowledges that AI is powerful but also volatile.
“If you’re not vigilant, it can go off the rails quickly,” he warned. To mitigate this, Immens is built to keep users in full control, offering transparent histories of AI actions so that every step is repeatable and auditable. This transparency enables developers to create throw‑away tools for specific tasks—like generating five unique characters with a particular trait—in minutes rather than weeks, dramatically reducing cost.
Flexibility is baked into Immens’s core philosophy. The engine does not impose a single workflow; instead, it provides a modular architecture that lets teams decide how much AI to incorporate and where.
De Jong stressed the importance of ensuring the AI understands the context correctly, but ultimately the choice rests with the user. Interoperability is another cornerstone. By adopting open, text‑based standards, Immens can seamlessly exchange data with popular tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline.
“When files are human‑readable, any software can parse them,” Brussee explained. “This openness allows us to plug in existing pipelines rather than forcing developers into a closed ecosystem.” The broader AI debate in game development is heated.
Some commentators on LinkedIn hype a future where a single prompt could spawn a Grand‑Theft‑Auto‑style world, fueling fear of a “click‑to‑game” utopia. Immens’s team concedes that such extremes may eventually be possible, but they view AI primarily as an enhancer of human talent.
“AI will make everyone better, not replace them,” Valient said. “It’s a tool, and like any tool, it can be misused, but it also has the power to unlock unprecedented creativity.” Economic concerns also loom large. Critics warn that AI‑centric startups might be riding a speculative bubble.
Valient counters that while bubbles burst, the underlying technology—much like the internet after the dot‑com era—endures. “We’re focused on building a solid engine; AI simply accelerates our development and expands what’s imaginable. Whether the market is inflated is uncertain, but the technology isn’t going away.” Funding remains modest.
Immens has secured its first commitments but has not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee cautions against over‑funding, noting that excess capital can breed complacency. “Startups need to stay scrappy; too much money can make you lazy.” The company remains a lean operation, consisting of the three founders and a handful of helpers. This intentional small size allows for rapid decision‑making and focused iteration. De Jong explains the trade‑off: “Building an engine is complex, but you don’t need a thousand engineers.
A tight team can make thoughtful choices and move quickly, especially as the window of opportunity with AI is limited.” Immens is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month. The timeline has already outpaced their original estimate—what was expected to take until year‑end is now progressing at double speed. As for the business model, Brussee admires Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” licensing approach but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific strategy.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to push the medium forward, fostering more risk‑taking, artistic expression, and innovation in games. “We love games and want to see more daring, creative work,” Brussee concluded.
“If our technology helps make that happen, it would be amazing.”