Unity and Unreal have long held sway over game creation, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases in 2025. While Godot has made noticeable strides recently and some studios cling to proprietary tools—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market remains largely dominated by the two giants. Yet three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—believe there is still space for a fresh engine that addresses the shortcomings of the status quo.
Their new venture, Immens, draws on a résumé that includes Epic Games (the makers of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and Apple, positioning the trio to challenge the entrenched players. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine because "the opportunity didn’t exist a couple of years ago." He argues that AI‑assisted programming now makes it feasible to start building tools from the ground up again, offering developers a way to achieve full functionality quickly while retaining tight guidance and control. Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that their use of AI differs from the hype‑driven notion of "prompt‑to‑content" generation.
Instead, the AI is embedded in the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. "AI can reason over massive code and data sets," he says. "If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom systems—like a bespoke particle system—without being confined to limited scripting layers.
The AI helps them extend the engine faster and more safely." The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic climate of game development. Brussee describes the environment as "rough," noting that production costs keep climbing, making it harder for studios to stay viable. He asks whether new workflows can break the cycle of ever‑increasing budgets and larger teams, allowing creators to deliver games faster, with fewer resources, and with less personal risk. De Jong, the chief product officer, points out that the engine market has become "standardised and consolidated," providing a solid foundation but stifling innovation.
He believes the industry now faces a suite of challenges that cannot be solved by simply iterating on existing tools. "We need innovation, not more standardisation," he asserts, urging a shift toward flexible, adaptable technology.
One of De Jong’s critiques of current engines is their "monolithic approach." Developers must conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, limiting creativity. With AI, Immens aims to flip that model, offering an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs. "Flexibility is key," he explains. "You should be able to swap components, append new features, and craft bespoke tools that match your workflow, shortcuts, and interface preferences." Valient acknowledges AI’s power but warns of its volatility.
"If you don’t monitor it, it can go off the rails quickly," he says. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: users can see exactly what the engine is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable outcomes.
This level of oversight enables rapid prototyping—imagine generating five uniquely‑traited characters over a coffee break—without the weeks‑long effort traditionally required. Such workflows, once prohibitively expensive, become affordable and repeatable. Flexibility is baked into Immens’ design philosophy. The engine does not impose a single workflow; instead, it lets developers decide how much AI to incorporate and where.
De Jong stresses that the underlying framework must be robust enough to support varied approaches while ensuring the AI interprets instructions correctly. Interoperability is another cornerstone. By adopting open, text‑based standards, Immens can seamlessly exchange data with tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative software. "When files are human‑readable, any program can parse them," Brussee notes.
This openness contrasts with many proprietary engines that act as closed ecosystems, hindering smooth integration. The broader AI conversation in game development is contentious. Some commentators predict a future where a simple prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, fueling fears of "click‑to‑game" solutions. Immens’ team acknowledges that such a scenario might eventually arise, but they view AI primarily as an empowering tool rather than a replacement for craftsmanship.
Valient believes AI will elevate creators, making them more capable, even if the technology currently carries negative connotations due to its disruptive scale. Economic anxieties also swirl around AI, with critics labeling the sector a bubble inflated by unrealistic valuations. Valient counters that AI is unlikely to disappear, likening its trajectory to the internet after the dot‑com bust: many companies will fall, but the underlying technology endures.
Immens aims to build a solid engine that leverages AI to accelerate development and inspire bigger dreams, regardless of market hype. Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee warns against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency and reduce the scrappy mindset essential for early‑stage innovation.
The company stays intentionally lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers. De Jong explains that building an engine is a complex task that does not benefit from a massive workforce; a focused team can make deliberate decisions and iterate efficiently. At the same time, they must balance resources to seize the narrow window of opportunity presented by AI’s rise.
Immens is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release this month. The timeline has already outpaced their original expectations: what was projected to take until year‑end is now arriving roughly twice as fast. Brussee admits that predicting exact milestones remains challenging given the rapid progress.
The business model is still under discussion. While Immens appreciates Epic Games' "we succeed when you succeed" licensing philosophy, they consider it premature to commit to a specific approach.
Ultimately, Brussee hopes Immens will enable creators to push the medium forward, fostering more artistic expression, risk‑taking, and innovation. "We love games and want to see more creativity," he says.
"If our technology helps bring that to life, that would be amazing."