For years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game creation, responsible for roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have begun to gain traction, most major studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example. In this landscape, the market appears firmly under the control of the two giants. Enter Immersive, a startup founded by three seasoned industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient.
Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game development, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they argue that there is still space for a fresh engine, and that the next generation of tools should be built with artificial intelligence at its core. 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.
“With AI‑assisted programming we can start from scratch again, while still keeping tight guidance and control, allowing us to deliver full‑featured capabilities quickly.” Valient, Immersive’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they are employing is not the “prompt‑to‑image” variety that dominates headlines. Instead, the technology is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible.
“AI can reason over massive codebases and data sets,” he noted. “If we design the underlying code with that in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can extend the engine beyond simple scripting. Want a custom particle system? You can add it directly, without fighting the engine’s internal constraints.” This philosophy aims to give creators the ability to leverage AI for rapid iteration while retaining full ownership of the resulting code.
The motivation behind Immersive’s AI‑powered engine stems from the current economic pressures on game makers. Brussee described the market as “rough” and warned that development costs are spiralling upward, making it increasingly difficult for studios to stay afloat. “We need new ways of working that lower costs, shrink team sizes, and accelerate timelines,” he argued.
“If we can break that cycle, we protect livelihoods and give creators the freedom to take risks.” De Jong, the company’s chief product officer, observed that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this consolidation provides a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation.
“The industry is facing a host of challenges, and simply repeating the old playbook won’t solve them,” he said. “What we need now is genuine innovation, not more of the same.” One of the pain points De Jong highlighted is the monolithic nature of existing engines. Developers are forced to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows.
By contrast, an AI‑enhanced engine could become pliable, reshaping itself around the developer’s needs. “Flexibility is key,” he explained. “You should be able to swap components, append new features, or build bespoke tools that match your exact workflow—down to the shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you prefer.” Valient also cautioned that AI, while powerful, can behave unpredictably if left unchecked. Immersive therefore builds transparency into the system: users can see exactly what the engine is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable results.
This level of control is crucial when automating tasks that previously required weeks of manual labor. “Imagine needing five characters with a specific trait,” he said. “Previously you’d plan, code, test, and iterate over weeks.
With AI‑driven tooling you could prototype over coffee, reuse the tool multiple times, and discard it when you’re done—dramatically cutting cost.” The platform is deliberately engineered to avoid imposing a single workflow. De Jong emphasized that developers can decide how much AI to incorporate and where to apply it.
“Our architecture is modular, so you can choose the degree of automation that fits your project,” he noted. “The challenge is ensuring the AI interprets your intent correctly, which is why we focus on open standards and clear interfaces.” Open standards play a pivotal role in Immersive’s vision. By using text‑based file formats, the engine can interoperate seamlessly with tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline. “When files are human‑readable, any software can parse them,” Brussee said.
“That opens the door to smarter integrations and eliminates the ‘black‑box’ nature of many current engines.” The broader conversation around AI in game development is polarized. Some commentators on LinkedIn hype the idea of “click‑to‑game” experiences, suggesting that a simple prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale world. Immersive acknowledges the hype but frames AI as a facilitator rather than a replacement. “One day we might see click‑to‑game engines, but for now AI is a tool that makes creators better,” Valient asserted.
“It’s disruptive, which is why it has a negative stigma, but that disruption is necessary for progress.” Economic anxieties also linger, with many questioning whether AI‑centric startups are part of a bubble. Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com era: “The internet didn’t disappear after the bubble burst; the weak players fell, and the strong ones survived. We’re focusing on building a solid engine, using AI to accelerate development, not chasing hype.” Funding remains modest. Immersive has secured its first commitments, though the exact amount is undisclosed and described as “reasonable.” Brussee warned against over‑funding, noting that excess capital can breed complacency.
“Startups need to stay scrappy,” he laughed. “Too much money can make you lazy.” The team is intentionally lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers. De Jong explained that building a sophisticated engine doesn’t require a massive workforce; instead, a focused group can make deliberate design decisions and iterate efficiently. “There’s a narrow window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry,” he said.
“We need enough resources to seize it, but not so many that we lose agility.” Immersive is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. The goal is to release this demo within the month, a timeline that Brussee admits is ahead of their original schedule. “We expected to be done by year‑end, but we’re already twice as fast,” he reported. Regarding the business model, Brussee expressed admiration for Epic Games’ revenue‑share approach—“we succeed when you succeed”—but admitted it’s too early to commit to a specific strategy.
Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will enable creators to push the artistic and technical boundaries of games. “We love games and want to see more daring, creative experiences,” Brussee concluded. “If our technology can help bring that vision to life, that would be amazing."