For years, Unity and Unreal have reigned supreme in the world of game creation, together accounting for roughly 70% of all titles launched on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have begun to gain traction, most large studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—leaving the market largely dominated by the two giants.
Enter Immersive, the brainchild of three seasoned industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who's‑who of game development, featuring stints at Epic Games (the makers of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they argue that there is still room for a fresh engine, one that not only competes with the status quo but also addresses its shortcomings. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform.
"A few years ago the idea of building a modern engine from the ground up seemed impossible," he said. "Now, with AI‑assisted programming, we can start from scratch again and deliver full‑featured tools much more quickly." Valient, Immersive’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they are integrating is not the kind that simply generates assets from a text prompt. "Our AI is baked into the engine’s architecture," he noted. "It helps the codebase stay highly extensible, allowing solo developers or small teams to add custom systems—like a bespoke particle effect—without being limited to a tiny scripting layer.
In short, AI becomes a catalyst for faster extension rather than a magic button that creates whole games on demand." The motivation behind Immersive’s AI‑powered engine is rooted in the current economic climate of the games sector, which Brussee describes as "rough." Development costs keep climbing, and the risk of a project failing has never been higher. "We need new ways of working that reduce budgets, shrink team sizes, and accelerate timelines," he argued.
"If we can break the cycle of ever‑increasing expense, studios can protect their livelihoods and take more creative risks." De Jong, the company’s chief product officer, observes that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a stable foundation, it also stifles innovation. "The industry is facing a series of challenges, and simply iterating on existing tools isn’t enough," he said. "We need a paradigm shift—something more flexible than the monolithic engines that force developers to conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines." Flexibility is a cornerstone of Immersive’s design philosophy.
De Jong envisions an engine where developers can swap components, append new modules, and craft bespoke tools that match their personal workflows. "Imagine being able to design an interface with the exact shortcuts, features, and visual layout that your team prefers," he explained. "That level of customization can dramatically improve productivity and creativity." Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can quickly veer off course if left unchecked. To mitigate this, Immersive is building transparency into the system: users can see exactly what the AI is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable results.
"When you need to generate five characters with a specific trait, you used to spend weeks planning and scripting. Now you can prototype the idea over coffee, run it through the AI, and have a reusable tool that you discard after a few uses.
That kind of workflow was once prohibitively expensive." The engine does not impose a single workflow; instead, it offers a modular architecture that lets teams decide how much AI to incorporate and where. "You control the degree of automation," De Jong emphasized.
"Our job is to make sure the AI understands the context correctly, but the ultimate direction comes from the developer." Interoperability is another priority. By embracing open standards and text‑based file formats, Immersive ensures that assets created in tools like Blender, Maya, or other generative pipelines can be seamlessly imported.
"When files are human‑readable, any AI can parse and manipulate them," Brussee said. "This openness contrasts with many proprietary engines that act as closed ecosystems, making integration a nightmare." There is a vocal backlash against AI in game development, often fueled by sensational claims that a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience. Immersive acknowledges the hype but frames AI as a tool rather than a replacement for human creativity. "One day we might see ‘click‑to‑game’ solutions, but for now AI is an enhancer that makes developers better at what they already do," Valient remarked.
Economic concerns also loom large. Critics argue that AI‑focused startups are riding a speculative bubble. Valient counters that, like the dot‑com era, the underlying technology will persist even if some companies fail.
"AI isn’t disappearing; it’s becoming a permanent part of the development toolkit. Our focus is on building a solid engine that leverages AI to speed up iteration and inspire bigger dreams.
Whether the market is in a bubble is uncertain, but history shows the tech itself endures." Funding remains modest. Immersive has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as "reasonable." Brussee cautions against over‑capitalization, noting that excess cash can lead to complacency. "Startups need to stay scrappy; too much money can make you lazy," he laughed.
The team remains tiny—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—by design. De Jong explains that building an engine is a complex, long‑term endeavor that doesn’t benefit from a massive headcount. "You need a focused group to make thoughtful decisions and iterate carefully.
At the same time, you must time your effort to capture the window of opportunity presented by AI advancements. Balancing resources and speed is the key challenge we’re navigating." Immersive is currently working on 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 expectations; what they thought would take until year‑end is now arriving in half that time. "Predicting exact dates is tough, but we’re clearly moving faster than anticipated," Brussee admitted.
Regarding the business model, Brussee mentions admiration for Epic’s revenue‑share approach—"we succeed when you succeed"—but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific strategy. Ultimately, the founders hope Immersive’s engine will empower creators to push the boundaries of interactive art. "We love games and want to see more daring, innovative experiences," Brussee concluded.
"If our technology helps studios take bigger creative risks, that would be amazing."