For many years, the game‑development landscape has been dominated by two heavyweight engines: Unity and Unreal. In fact, by 2025 those two platforms powered roughly 70% of every title launched on Steam. While open‑source alternatives such as Godot have enjoyed a surge in popularity, and some large studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely settled into a duopoly.
Enter Immers, a fledgling company founded by three industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who's‑who of game‑technology powerhouses, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they argue that there is still untapped space for a fresh engine, and that the next generation of tools should be built with artificial intelligence at its core.
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 an AI‑augmented engine didn’t really exist," he said.
"Now, with AI‑assisted programming, we can start from a clean slate and get full‑featured functionality up and running much faster than before." Valient, Immers’ chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they are integrating is not the sort of generative, prompt‑driven magic that dominates headlines. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible.
"If we design the codebase with AI reasoning in mind, even a solo developer can plug in a custom particle system or a bespoke animation tool without wrestling with opaque scripting layers," he explained. "The goal is to let creators extend the engine quickly, using AI as a productivity catalyst rather than a replacement for thoughtful engineering." The motivation behind Immers’ ambitious project stems from the increasingly bleak economics of game development. Brussee described the current climate as "rough," noting that production costs continue to climb while budgets shrink.
"It’s becoming harder to break even," he warned. "We need new workflows that lower expenses, shrink team size, and accelerate timelines, so studios aren’t gambling their livelihoods on a single title." De Jong, the chief product officer, pointed out that the engine market has entered a phase of "standardisation and consolidation." While this has provided a stable foundation, he argues it also breeds complacency. "The industry now faces a raft of challenges—rising costs, talent shortages, and a lack of innovation.
Continuing to do things the same way won’t solve those problems. We need a paradigm shift, not more of the same," he said.
One of the pain points De Jong highlighted is the "monolithic" nature of existing engines. Developers often must conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, limiting creativity.
With AI‑driven adaptability, Immers aims to give studios an engine that bends to their needs. "Flexibility is essential," he asserted.
"You should be able to swap modules, append new features, or build entirely custom tools that match your personal workflow—down to the exact shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you require." Valient also cautioned that AI, while powerful, can misbehave if left unchecked. "We’re building Immers so that users stay in the driver’s seat. You can see exactly what the engine is doing, review its decision history, and reproduce results reliably," he said.
This transparency, he believes, will prevent the "run‑away" scenarios that sometimes plague black‑box AI systems. The team envisions a future where repetitive, time‑consuming tasks—like generating a set of five characters with specific traits—can be completed in minutes instead of weeks.
"Imagine sketching a concept over coffee, letting the engine generate the assets, and then polishing them on the fly. That workflow used to be prohibitively expensive; now it becomes a routine part of development," Valient noted.
Immers’ architecture deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow on its users. De Jong emphasized that the framework is modular, allowing developers to decide how much AI to incorporate and where. "You might use AI for asset generation but rely on traditional code for core gameplay mechanics, or vice versa. The engine should accommodate any mix you prefer," he explained.
Interoperability is another cornerstone of Immers’ design philosophy. By embracing open standards and text‑based file formats, the engine can seamlessly communicate with tools such as Blender, Maya, or other generative pipelines. "When files are human‑readable, any program can parse them.
The AI can then manipulate those files directly, creating a smooth bridge between disparate software ecosystems," Brussee said. He believes this openness solves a long‑standing friction point where proprietary engines act as isolated islands. The broader industry conversation about AI in games is often polarized.
Some pundits on platforms like LinkedIn hype the notion of "click‑to‑game" experiences, suggesting that a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale world. Immers’ founders acknowledge the hype but frame AI as a tool rather than a magical shortcut. "Eventually, AI will make everyone better at their craft, but it won’t replace the creative vision and craftsmanship that go into a great game," Valient asserted.
Economic anxieties also linger, with many questioning whether AI‑focused startups are riding a speculative bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: the internet didn’t disappear when the bubble burst; many companies simply fell away, leaving the robust technologies behind. "Our focus is on building a solid engine. AI accelerates us, but the core product must stand on its own merits," he said.
Funding remains modest. Immers has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as "reasonable." Brussee warned against over‑capitalization, noting that excess cash can breed complacency. "Startups need to stay scrappy. Too much money can make you lazy," he laughed.
The team itself is lean: the three founders plus a handful of helpers. De Jong explained that engine development is complex, but throwing a massive workforce at it doesn’t guarantee success.
"A small, focused group can make deliberate decisions and iterate faster. We also have a narrow window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry, so we must balance resources with speed," he said. Currently, Immers is racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow.
The goal is to release this demo within the month, a timeline that Brussee says is already twice as fast as originally projected. "We aimed for an end‑of‑year milestone when we started in April, and we’re ahead of schedule," he reported. Regarding the business model, Brussee mentioned admiration for Epic Games’ revenue‑share approach—"we succeed when you succeed"—but admitted it’s too early to commit to a specific strategy.
The ultimate ambition, however, is clear: to empower creators to push the boundaries of interactive entertainment. "We love games and the artistic expression they enable," Brussee concluded. "We hope Immers can spark more creativity, risk‑taking, and innovation in the medium.
If our technology helps bring bold new experiences to life, that would be amazing."