For years, Unity and Unreal have been the go‑to platforms for game creators, accounting for roughly 70 % of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have made noticeable strides, most major studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—leaving the engine market firmly in the hands of the two giants.
Enter Immens, a fledgling company founded by three seasoned veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry, with stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they argue that despite the dominance of Unity and Unreal, there is still space for a fresh engine that addresses the shortcomings of the current offerings. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform.
“A few years ago this kind of engine didn’t exist,” he said. “Now, with AI‑assisted programming, we can start building from the ground up again while still keeping tight guidance and control, delivering full‑featured tools quickly.” Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they are leveraging is not the typical “prompt‑to‑output” model that dominates headlines. Instead, their AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. “If we design the codebase with AI in mind, even solo developers can add custom systems—like a bespoke particle engine—without being limited to simple scripting,” he noted.
The goal is to let creators use AI to accelerate extensions rather than replace the creative process. The motivation behind this ambitious project stems from the harsh reality of today’s game market. Brussee described the environment as “rough,” pointing out that development costs keep climbing, making it harder for small teams to break even. “We need new ways of working that lower expenses, speed up production, and let studios of any size create without risking their livelihood,” he argued.
De Jong, the chief product officer, observed that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that stability provides a solid foundation, the industry now faces a series of challenges that demand innovation, not more of the same. He criticized the “monolithic approach” of existing engines, where developers must conform to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows.
With AI, Immens aims to deliver an engine that molds itself to the user’s needs, offering interchangeable modules, custom toolchains, and interfaces tailored to individual workflows. Flexibility is a recurring theme.
De Jong explained that a developer should be able to build tools that match their personal habits—specific shortcuts, UI layouts, and feature sets—so the engine becomes an extension of the team rather than a constraint. Valient warned, however, that AI is a double‑edged sword. While it is “really powerful,” it can also “go off the rails quickly if you don’t pay attention.” To mitigate this, Immens is designed to keep users in the driver’s seat, providing full visibility into what the AI does, its decision history, and reproducibility of results.
One of the most compelling promises is the ability to generate content on the fly. Imagine needing five characters with a particular trait; traditionally this would require weeks of planning and asset creation. With Immens, a developer could sketch the idea over coffee, let the AI produce a usable prototype, employ it a handful of times, and then discard it—dramatically cutting cost and time. The engine’s architecture deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow.
De Jong emphasized that teams can decide how much AI to integrate and where, as long as the underlying system can interpret AI outputs correctly. Open standards also play a crucial role.
By relying on text‑based file formats, Immens ensures that external tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative system can communicate seamlessly. “When everything speaks the same language, you can plug in whatever you need without fighting the engine,” Brussee said. The broader AI debate in game development is heated. Some pundits on LinkedIn hype the notion of creating Grand Theft Auto‑scale experiences with a single prompt, sparking fears of a “click‑to‑game” future.
Immens acknowledges the hype but positions AI as a tool, not a replacement. Valient believes AI will elevate creators, making both blockbuster and indie projects better, while De Jong stresses responsible usage: “Any tool can be misused; it’s our duty to guide it constructively.” Economic anxieties also surface, with many questioning whether the AI boom is a bubble.
Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while numerous startups will fade, the underlying technology endures. “AI isn’t disappearing; it’s accelerating our ability to dream bigger and iterate faster,” he said. Whether the market is overheated remains uncertain, but Immens focuses on building a solid engine first. Funding details are still vague.
The founders have secured “first commitments” but have not disclosed amounts, describing the needed capital as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against excess funding, arguing that too much money can breed complacency. The company remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design, believing that a small, focused team can make decisive architectural choices without the overhead of a massive staff. Balancing complexity and agility is a central challenge. De Jong explained that building an engine is a monumental task that cannot be solved by simply adding more heads; it requires careful, incremental decisions.
At the same time, there is a narrow window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry. Immens aims to hit that sweet spot with a modest team, sufficient funding, and a clear timeline. Currently, Immens is developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow.
They plan to release the demo within the month, already having accelerated their roadmap—what was projected to take until year‑end is now expected in half that time. When asked about business models, Brussee mentioned admiration for Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” licensing philosophy but admitted it’s too early to commit to a specific approach. Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will spark a new wave of creativity and risk‑taking in games.
“We love games and want to see more daring, artistic expressions,” Brussee concluded. “If our technology can help developers push boundaries, that would be amazing.”