Unity and Unreal have long held sway over the game‑development landscape, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases in 2025. While Godot has made notable strides and some major studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market remains heavily tilted toward those two giants.
Yet three seasoned industry veterans, Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient, have launched Immersive (Immens) with the conviction that there is still space for a fresh engine and, more importantly, for meaningful improvement. Their 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. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is ripe for a new engine, noting that "a few years ago the kind of platform we’re envisioning simply didn’t exist." He believes AI‑assisted programming now makes it feasible to start building from scratch under tight guidance, delivering full‑featured tools quickly. Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, stresses that their use of AI differs from the hype‑driven "prompt‑to‑content" narrative.
"Our AI isn’t about conjuring assets out of thin air," he explains. "It’s about constructing an engine architecture that is inherently extensible.
AI excels at reasoning over large codebases and data sets. If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom systems—say, a bespoke particle system—without being confined to a limited scripting layer.
In short, AI becomes a catalyst for rapid extension, not a magical shortcut." The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic climate of game development, which Brussee describes as "rough." Production costs continue to climb, making it increasingly difficult for small studios to survive. "We need new ways of working, more efficient pipelines that lower budgets and shrink team sizes while preserving creative ambition," he says. The goal is to break the cycle of ever‑rising expenses that threaten the livelihood of developers and studios alike.
De Jong, the chief product officer, points out that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that consolidation provides a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation. "The industry faces a host of challenges, and merely repeating past practices won’t solve them," he asserts.
"We need a paradigm shift—innovation, not further standardisation." One of De Jong’s criticisms of existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. By contrast, Immens aims to be a pliable platform that molds itself to the developer’s needs.
"Flexibility is key," he says. "You should be able to swap components, append new features, and craft bespoke tools that match your personal workflow—down to shortcuts, UI layout, and specific functionality." Valient acknowledges AI’s power but also its volatility. "If you’re not vigilant, it can go off the rails quickly," he warns.
Immens therefore places control firmly in the user’s hands. Every action taken by the engine is logged, repeatable, and transparent, allowing developers to understand the history of any change. This level of oversight makes it possible to generate, for example, five uniquely‑behaved characters in minutes—a task that previously might have taken weeks—then discard the temporary tool once the job is done, dramatically reducing cost. The platform’s architecture is deliberately agnostic about workflow.
De Jong stresses that Immersive does not impose a single approach; users decide how much AI to integrate and where. The underlying framework is built to accommodate open standards, ensuring seamless interoperability with common tools like Blender, Maya, or other generative pipelines.
"When files are text‑based, any system can read them," Brussee notes. "Our AI can parse those files and act on them, which opens the door to smarter, more collaborative interfaces across the entire toolchain." Despite a growing backlash against AI in game development—fuelled in part by sensational claims on LinkedIn that a simple prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑level experience—the Immens team views AI as a tool, not a replacement for human creativity. Valient believes AI will elevate the entire industry: "Big games and indie titles alike will benefit because AI makes everyone better. The current negative perception stems from its disruptive scale, which is unprecedented." De Jong adds a note of responsibility: "AI is a tool, like any other technology.
It can be misused, but it’s up to us to apply it responsibly and productively." Economic anxieties also swirl around AI, with some warning of a speculative bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, arguing that while many companies will fade, the underlying technology endures. "AI isn’t disappearing.
The internet survived its bubble, and so will AI. Our focus is on building a solid engine that leverages AI to accelerate development and inspire bigger dreams. Whether we’re in a bubble is uncertain, but history shows that valuable tech persists beyond hype." Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing them as "reasonable." Brussee cautions against over‑funding, noting that excess capital can breed complacency.
"Startups that have too much money often become lazy; scrappiness drives innovation," he laughs. The company remains lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—by design. De Jong explains the balance: a complex engine cannot be built by a massive team overnight, yet timing is critical to capture the window of opportunity presented by AI’s rise. "We need enough resources to hit that sweet spot without drowning in manpower," he says.
Immens is currently targeting a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month. The timeline has already outpaced their original estimate: "We expected to be at this point by year‑end, but we’re two‑times faster than anticipated," Brussee reports, underscoring the speed gains they aim to deliver. Business model discussions are still early. While Brussee admires Epic’s "we succeed when you succeed" licensing philosophy, he admits it’s premature to commit to any specific approach.
Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to push the medium forward. "We love games and the complex artistic expression they enable. We want more creativity, more risk‑taking, and more innovation built on technology like ours," Brussee concludes.
"If we can help bring that vision to life, it would be amazing."