For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, powering roughly 70% of Steam releases in 2025. While open‑source options like Godot have gained traction and some studios continue to rely on proprietary solutions such as Capcom's RE Engine, the market has largely been locked into the two big players. Against this backdrop, three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have launched Immersive (Immens) with the belief that there is still space for a fresh engine that tackles the shortcomings of the status quo. The trio’s résumés read like a who’s‑who of modern game development: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple.
Their collective expertise fuels confidence that they can challenge the entrenched giants. 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 meet today’s needs." He argues that AI‑assisted programming now makes it feasible to rebuild core technology from the ground up while still providing developers with strong guidance and rapid functionality. Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI component is not about generating content via prompts, but about constructing an engine that is inherently extensible.
"AI excels at reasoning over large codebases and data sets," he says. "If we design the architecture 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 a limited scripting layer." This approach aims to let creators extend the engine swiftly, leveraging AI as a productivity catalyst rather than a magical shortcut. One of the driving forces behind Immens is the increasingly hostile economics of game production. Brussee describes the current climate as "rough," noting that development costs keep climbing and studios are forced to gamble larger sums on each project.
"We need new ways of working that reduce risk, lower budgets, and enable smaller teams to ship faster," he says. De Jong, the chief product officer, adds that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated, providing a solid foundation but stifling innovation. "The industry now faces a suite of challenges, and merely iterating on existing tools won’t cut it. We need genuine innovation, not more of the same," he asserts.
De Jong also criticizes the "monolithic" nature of current engines, which often lock developers into proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. With AI, Immens intends to offer a flexible platform that adapts to the user’s needs.
"You should be able to swap components, append new features, or craft entirely custom tools that match your personal workflow," he explains. He envisions a scenario where a developer can design a suite of shortcuts, interfaces, and utilities tailored precisely to a project’s requirements, dramatically improving efficiency. Valient acknowledges AI’s power but warns that it can quickly go off‑track if left unchecked.
To mitigate this, Immens is built to keep users in full control: every AI‑driven action is logged, repeatable, and transparent. "You always know what the engine is doing and why," he says.
This traceability allows developers to create throw‑away tools for specific tasks—like generating five characters with a unique trait—in minutes rather than weeks, a process that previously would have been prohibitively expensive. Flexibility is baked into Immens’ core philosophy. The engine does not enforce a single workflow; instead, it provides a modular architecture that lets teams decide how much AI to incorporate and where.
"The framework is deliberately open so you can choose the level of AI assistance that fits your pipeline," De Jong notes, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the AI understands the context correctly. Interoperability is another priority. By embracing open, text‑based standards, Immens aims to play nicely with the broader ecosystem of tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI suite.
"When files are human‑readable, any program can parse them," Brussee points out. This openness enables seamless data exchange and eliminates the friction that often arises when proprietary engines refuse to speak the same language as other software. The broader community remains divided on AI’s role in game creation.
Some commentators sensationalize the technology, claiming that entire AAA experiences could be conjured with a single prompt. Immens’ founders temper such hype, positioning AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement for human creativity.
Valient believes AI will elevate the quality of games across the spectrum, while De Jong stresses responsible usage: "Any tool can be misused; it’s our duty to guide it toward positive outcomes." Economic anxieties also surface, with critics labeling the AI boom a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies will fail, the underlying technology endures.
"AI isn’t disappearing; it’s becoming the infrastructure that accelerates innovation," he says. Immens focuses on building a solid engine first, using AI to speed development and broaden creative possibilities, regardless of market hype.
Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee cautions against excessive capital, which can breed complacency. The company deliberately stays lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—to maintain agility and focus. Currently, Immens is racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases AI‑driven editing workflows, slated for release this month.
The timeline has already outpaced original estimates, with development moving twice as fast as anticipated. While the long‑term business model is still under discussion, Brussee appreciates Epic Games' "we succeed when you succeed" licensing philosophy but admits it’s too early to commit. Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to push the medium forward, fostering risk‑taking and artistic expression.
"We love games and want to see more daring, innovative experiences," Brussee concludes. "If our technology can help make that happen, it would be amazing."