For many years, Unity and Unreal have reigned supreme in the world of game creation, accounting for roughly 70 % of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives such as Godot have begun to gain traction, the majority of large studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example. In short, the engine market has long seemed locked in a duopoly.
Enter Immens, a startup founded by three industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—who believe there is still room for a fresh, more adaptable engine. Their résumés read like a who's‑who of game development: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, Apple, and several other high‑profile studios.
Together, they aim to challenge the status quo and offer a new path for developers. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because “the tools that existed a couple of years ago simply don’t exist any more.” He argues that AI‑assisted programming now makes it possible to start building a game engine from scratch while still keeping tight control over the process. “With a lot of guidance and oversight, you can assemble a fully functional system quickly,” he said.
Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, stresses that the AI they employ is not the kind of generative prompt‑driven magic that dominates headlines. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible.
“AI can reason over massive codebases and data sets,” he noted. “If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom features—say, a bespoke particle system—without being confined to a limited scripting layer.” This approach, he believes, will let creators extend the engine faster and more precisely. The motivation behind Immens’s AI‑centric engine stems from the current economic pressures on the games market.
Brussee describes the climate as “rough,” noting that development costs keep climbing, making it increasingly difficult for studios to survive. “We need new ways of working that lower costs, shrink team sizes, and accelerate timelines,” he said. “Otherwise you’re risking your livelihood and your studio’s future.” De Jong, the chief product officer, points out that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that consolidation provides a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation.
“The industry is facing a host of challenges, and simply repeating the old formula isn’t enough,” he argued. “We need true innovation, not more of the same.” He criticizes the monolithic nature of existing engines, which force developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. With AI, Immens aims to deliver a system that bends to the developer’s needs, allowing interchangeable components, custom tools, and personalized interfaces.
Valient acknowledges AI’s power but warns that it can “go off the rails” if left unchecked. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: users can see exactly what the engine is doing, review its decision history, and reproduce results reliably. This level of oversight, he says, enables rapid prototyping—imagine designing five uniquely‑traited characters over a coffee break rather than spending weeks on iteration. Such workflows, once prohibitively expensive, become affordable and repeatable.
Flexibility is baked into Immens’s core design. De Jong stresses that the engine does not impose a single workflow; developers decide how much AI to employ and where. The architecture is deliberately open, supporting open standards so that assets from tools like Blender, Maya, or other generative platforms can be imported seamlessly. “When files are text‑based, any program can read them,” Brussee explained.
“The AI can parse those files and act on them, which makes interoperability far easier than with closed, proprietary engines.” There is a vocal backlash against AI in game development, often fueled by sensational claims that a simple prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience. Immens’s team acknowledges that while “click‑to‑game” engines might eventually exist, they view AI primarily as a powerful tool—not a replacement for human creativity. Valient believes AI will make developers better, even if the technology currently carries negative connotations due to its disruptive scale.
Economic concerns also swirl around the AI boom, with many fearing a bubble of over‑valued startups. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era: the internet didn’t disappear, but numerous overhyped companies fell away, leaving the strongest survivors.
“We’re focused on building a solid engine. AI accelerates our work and lets us dream bigger, but the core product must stand on its own merits,” he said.
Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed amounts, describing them as “reasonable.” Brussee cautions against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency. The company remains lean—just the three founders and 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; instead, a small, focused group can make thoughtful decisions and iterate efficiently. At the same time, they must time their efforts to capture the window of opportunity presented by AI’s rise. Currently, Immens is working on a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month. The team originally expected the project to take until year‑end, but they are already moving at double the anticipated speed.
While the exact business model is still under discussion, Brussee admires Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” philosophy but admits it’s too early for firm commitments. Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will enable creators to push the boundaries of the medium. “We love games and the complex artistic expressions they embody,” Brussee said. “We want to see more risk‑taking, more creativity, and more innovation built on technology like ours.
That would be amazing.”