Unity and Unreal have long been the dominant forces in game development, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases in 2025. While Godot has made notable strides recently and some large studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market still feels locked into the duopoly of Unity and Unreal.
Enter Immens, a fledgling engine 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 creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
The trio believes there is still room for a fresh engine that addresses the shortcomings of today’s offerings. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is right for a new platform that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. “With AI‑assisted programming, you can start building from scratch again,” he said. “Guided by intelligent tools, you can get full‑featured functionality up and running quickly.” Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarified that their use of AI is not about generating assets with a single prompt.
Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. “AI can reason over large codebases and data sets,” he explained. “If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom systems—say, a bespoke particle effect—without being confined to a narrow scripting layer.” This approach aims to let creators extend the engine rapidly, leveraging AI as a productivity accelerator rather than a magic wand.
The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current state of the games market, which Brussee describes as “rough.” Development costs are soaring, and studios face ever‑higher financial risk. “We need new ways of working that cut expenses, shrink team sizes, and shorten timelines,” he asserted. “If we can make games cheaper and faster, we reduce the existential threat to studios and creators alike.” De Jong, the chief product officer, pointed out that the engine space has become increasingly standardized and consolidated.
While that stability provides a solid foundation, he believes the industry now demands innovation, not more of the same. “The monolithic nature of existing engines forces developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows,” he said. “With AI, we envision an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs, offering interchangeable components, custom tools, and a truly flexible pipeline.” Flexibility is a core tenet of Immens. De Jong envisions a system where users can craft interfaces, shortcuts, and features that match their personal workflows.
“If I need a tool that reflects my background and the specific demands of my project, I can build it directly into the engine,” he noted. This level of customization, powered by AI‑driven code generation and analysis, aims to eliminate the bottlenecks that plague traditional engines.
Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can “go off the rails” if left unchecked. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: developers can see exactly what the AI is doing, review its history, and ensure repeatable outcomes. This oversight allows creators to prototype complex tasks—like generating five uniquely‑behaved characters—in minutes rather than weeks, then discard the temporary tools once the job is done.
The result is a dramatically cheaper and faster creative loop. Immens deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow.
De Jong stressed that the architecture is designed to let teams decide how much AI to incorporate and where. “We provide the framework; you decide the process,” he said.
The engine also embraces open standards, meaning files are text‑based and easily readable by other software. Brussee highlighted the advantage: “If the AI can parse a file, it can interact with tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative system. Open standards let everything talk to each other, something proprietary engines have historically resisted.” The broader AI debate in game development is heated. Some commentators on LinkedIn hype “click‑to‑game” engines that could spawn Grand Theft Auto‑style experiences from a single prompt.
Immens’ founders acknowledge that such a vision might someday be feasible, but they view AI primarily as a tool that enhances human creativity rather than replaces it. “AI makes everyone better,” Valient said. “It’s disruptive, which creates negative headlines, but the technology isn’t disappearing.” Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with many fearing a speculative bubble. Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com era: “The internet didn’t vanish when the bubble burst; many companies fell, but the underlying technology persisted.
We’re focused on building a solid engine; AI simply accelerates our development and lets us dream bigger.” Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against over‑capitalization, noting that excess cash can breed complacency. The company remains a lean operation: the three founders plus a handful of helpers. De Jong explained the trade‑off: a small, focused team can make deliberate architectural decisions, while still being large enough to seize the narrow window of opportunity presented by AI’s rise.
The team is currently delivering a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release this month. Their original timeline—projected to stretch to year‑end—has already been halved, illustrating the speed gains they tout. Regarding the business model, Brussee hinted at an “Epic‑style” revenue share where success is tied to the developer’s success, but admitted it’s too early for firm statements. Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to push the artistic boundaries of games, fostering risk‑taking and innovation.
In their own words, “We love games, we love complex expressions of the medium, and we want to see more creativity and risk‑taking. If our technology can help bring that forward, that would be amazing.”