For years, Unity and Unreal have ruled the game‑development landscape, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases in 2025. While Godot has gained traction and some studios cling to proprietary solutions like Capcom’s RE Engine, the market has largely settled into a duopoly. Yet three industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—believe there is still room for a fresh engine that tackles the shortcomings of the status quo. Their new venture, Immens, draws on a résumé that spans Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple, positioning the trio to challenge the entrenched players.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is ripe for a novel engine: “A few years ago this wasn’t possible, but AI‑augmented programming now lets us start from scratch again and deliver full‑featured tools quickly.” He emphasizes that the AI component is not about generating assets via prompts, but about constructing an extensible codebase that can be molded by small teams or solo developers. Valient, Immens’ CTO, explains that their AI is designed to understand and reason over large code repositories, enabling users to add custom systems—such as a bespoke particle system—without being confined to limited scripting layers. The motivation behind Immens stems from the increasingly hostile economics of game creation.
Brussee describes the current climate as "rough," noting that production budgets are spiralling and the risk of failure is climbing. "We need new ways of working that shrink costs, accelerate timelines, and let smaller teams deliver high‑quality experiences without jeopardising their studios," he says. De Jong, the chief product officer, adds that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated, offering a solid foundation but stifling innovation. "The industry now faces a series of challenges that cannot be solved by repeating the same old processes," he asserts.
"We need breakthrough ideas, not more of the same." A key criticism De Jong levels at existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows, often spending months building tools that merely accommodate the engine rather than the opposite. With AI, Immens aims to flip this dynamic, delivering a platform that flexibly reshapes itself around the developer’s needs.
"You can swap modules, append features, modify core systems, and craft bespoke tools that match your personal workflow," he explains. "Imagine a UI tuned precisely to your team's shortcuts, features, and interface preferences—this is the level of customization we’re targeting." Valient acknowledges AI’s power and its pitfalls. While the technology can accelerate development dramatically, it can also veer off course if left unchecked.
To mitigate this, Immens is built to keep users in the driver’s seat: every AI action is logged, repeatable, and fully transparent. This accountability allows creators to generate, for example, five uniquely‑behaved characters in the time it once took weeks, then discard the temporary tool once the job is done. Such on‑demand, disposable workflows dramatically cut costs and open creative possibilities previously reserved for large studios.
Flexibility is baked into Immens’ architecture. The engine does not enforce a single workflow; instead, it offers a modular framework where developers decide how much AI to integrate and where.
De Jong stresses that the underlying design must ensure AI interprets instructions correctly, but the ultimate choice of usage rests with the user. Moreover, Immens embraces open standards, favoring text‑based file formats that any tool can read.
"When files are human‑readable, the AI can parse and manipulate them, enabling seamless interoperability with software like Blender, Maya, or other generative pipelines," Brussee notes. This openness contrasts with many proprietary engines that act as isolated islands, hindering cross‑tool collaboration.
The broader AI debate in game development is heated. Some pundits on LinkedIn hype "click‑to‑game" solutions that could conjure Grand Theft Auto‑scale worlds from a single prompt.
Immens’ team tempers such expectations, viewing AI as a powerful assistant rather than a magical shortcut. Valient believes AI will elevate the entire industry, making developers better and enabling more ambitious projects. "The technology has negative connotations now because it’s disrupting at an unprecedented scale," he says, urging responsible use.
De Jong concurs, likening AI to any other tool: it can be misused, but the onus is on creators to steer it toward positive outcomes. Economic anxieties also swirl around AI, with fears of a bubble and inflated valuations. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many startups vanished, the internet itself persisted and flourished.
"We’re focused on building a solid engine; AI simply accelerates our development and expands our imagination," he asserts. Whether the market is in a bubble remains uncertain, but Immens plans to stay grounded by delivering a genuinely useful product.
Funding details are still vague. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee warns against over‑funding, saying excess capital can breed complacency. The company remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design.
De Jong explains that engine development is complex and cannot be rushed by throwing a massive team at it; a focused, iterative approach is essential to make thoughtful decisions. Immens is currently racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release this month. The timeline has already outpaced initial expectations: what was projected to take until year‑end is now arriving in half that time. As for the business model, Brussee admires Epic’s "we succeed when you succeed" philosophy but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific strategy.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will spark a wave of creativity and risk‑taking in games. "We love games and want to see more daring artistic expression," Brussee concludes.
"If our technology enables developers to push boundaries and innovate, that would be amazing."