For years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, accounting for roughly 70% of all titles launched on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have begun to gain traction, the majority of large studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example. In this landscape, the market for game engines appears largely consolidated. Enter Immersive (Immens), the brainchild of three seasoned veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient.
Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. The trio believes there is still room for a fresh engine that not only competes with the status quo but also addresses its shortcomings. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new platform: “There’s an opportunity now to build an engine that didn’t exist a couple of years ago. With AI‑assisted programming, we can start building from scratch again, under strong guidance, and deliver full‑featured tools quickly.” Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI component is not about generating content from a simple prompt.
Instead, it is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible. “AI can reason over large codebases and data sets.
If we design the engine with that in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can add custom systems—like a bespoke particle system—without being confined to limited scripting layers,” he said. This approach aims to let creators extend the engine at a deep level, accelerating iteration cycles.
The motivation behind Immens stems from the increasingly hostile economics of game development. Brussee described the current climate as “rough,” noting that production costs keep climbing, making it harder for small studios to survive. “We need new ways of working that lower budgets, shrink team sizes, and speed up delivery, so creators aren’t gambling their livelihoods on a single title,” he argued.
De Jong, the chief product officer, pointed out that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that stability provides a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation.
“The industry faces many challenges, and simply repeating old methods won’t cut it. We need genuine innovation, not just more of the same,” he asserted.
A key criticism of existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, limiting flexibility. De Jong believes AI can flip this script, delivering an engine that molds itself to the developer’s workflow.
“It must be interchangeable, extensible, and allow you to craft tools that match your personal shortcuts, interface preferences, and project‑specific needs,” he explained. Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can quickly go off‑track if left unchecked. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: users can see exactly what the engine is doing, review its history, and ensure repeatable outcomes. This level of oversight enables rapid prototyping—imagine designing five distinct characters with unique traits over a coffee break, then discarding the temporary tool once the job is done.
Such workflows, once prohibitively expensive, become feasible with AI‑enhanced automation. Flexibility is baked into Immens’s design philosophy. The framework does not enforce a single workflow; developers decide how much AI to employ and where.
De Jong stressed the importance of the AI understanding context correctly, a challenge the team is actively tackling. Interoperability is another pillar of Immens. By adopting open, text‑based standards, the engine can seamlessly exchange data with popular tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline.
“When files are readable as plain text, any system can parse them. This opens the door to smarter interfaces across the entire toolchain,” Brussee noted. He argued that many proprietary engines act as isolated islands, whereas Immens aims to be a bridge that speaks the same language as the broader ecosystem.
The broader AI debate in game development is heated. Some commentators hype “click‑to‑game” engines that could produce Grand Theft Auto‑scale experiences from a single prompt. Immens’s founders acknowledge the hype but view AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement. “AI will make everyone better, but it remains a tool,” Valient said.
De Jong added that responsible use is essential; every technology can be misused, and the industry must guide it toward positive outcomes. Economic anxieties also swirl around AI, with fears of a valuation bubble.
Valient likened the situation to the dot‑com era: “The internet didn’t disappear after the bubble burst; many companies vanished, but the technology endured. We’re focused on building a solid engine; AI simply accelerates our vision.” Funding remains modest.
Immens has secured its first commitments but has not disclosed amounts, describing them as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against over‑capitalization, noting that excess cash 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 sharper decisions and iterate faster.
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 initial expectations; what was projected to take until year‑end is now arriving in half that time.
Brussee admitted that predicting exact schedules is difficult when progress accelerates unexpectedly. Regarding the business model, Immens admires Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” licensing philosophy but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific approach. Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will empower creators to push the medium forward, fostering risk‑taking and artistic expression. “We love games and want to see more creativity and innovation built on technology like ours,” Brussee concluded.
"That would be amazing."