For many years, Unity and Unreal have reigned supreme in game development, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases projected for 2025. While Godot has enjoyed notable growth and some studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been dominated by the two giants.
Against this backdrop, three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have launched Immens, a new AI‑enhanced engine that they believe can carve out a meaningful niche and raise the bar for how games are built. The founders bring an impressive résumé: 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 fresh engine, noting that "a few years ago this simply didn’t exist." He sees AI‑assisted programming as a catalyst that lets developers start from a clean slate while still retaining strong guidance and control, enabling rapid delivery of fully‑featured tools.
Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, stresses that their use of AI differs from the hype‑driven "prompt‑to‑content" narrative. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. "AI can reason about large codebases and data sets," he explains.
"If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even small teams or solo creators can plug in custom systems—like a bespoke particle effect—without being limited to superficial scripting. The AI simply accelerates the extension process." The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current market climate, which Brussee describes as "rough." Development costs are soaring, and the risk of failure is higher than ever. "We need new, more efficient ways of working that let smaller teams produce quality games faster and with less money," he says.
De Jong, the chief product officer, adds that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated. While that consolidation provides a solid foundation, the industry now demands genuine innovation rather than incremental refinements. According to De Jong, existing engines follow a "monolithic approach" that forces developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows.
By contrast, Immens aims to be a pliable platform that molds itself to the user’s needs. "You should be able to swap components, append new features, and craft tools that match your personal workflow," he asserts. He envisions a scenario where a developer can design a custom interface with precise shortcuts, features, and visual layouts tailored to a specific project, all without fighting against the engine’s default constraints.
Valient acknowledges AI’s power but also its volatility. He stresses that Immens will keep users in the driver’s seat, offering full transparency into the engine’s actions and a repeatable history of changes. This level of control allows creators to build temporary, highly focused tools—such as a rapid character‑generation script—that can be discarded after a handful of uses, dramatically cutting the time and expense traditionally required for such tasks.
Flexibility is a core tenet of Immens. De Jong stresses that the engine does not impose a single workflow; instead, it provides an architecture that lets developers decide how much AI to integrate and where. "We must ensure the AI interprets instructions correctly," he notes, highlighting the importance of reliable, understandable AI behavior. Interoperability is another priority.
By adopting open, text‑based standards, Immens can seamlessly exchange data with popular tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline. Brussee points out that when files are human‑readable, the AI can parse and manipulate them directly, fostering smarter interfaces across the entire development stack.
This openness addresses a long‑standing pain point where many engines act as closed ecosystems that resist integration with external software. The broader AI debate in game development is polarized.
Some commentators on LinkedIn sensationalize the idea that a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience. While Immens acknowledges the eventual possibility of "click‑to‑game" solutions, the team frames AI as a powerful augmentative tool rather than a replacement for human creativity. "AI makes everyone better," Valient says, noting the current negative perception stems from the disruptive scale of the technology.
Economic concerns also surface, with many questioning whether the AI boom is a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, arguing that while some companies will fall, the underlying technology endures. "We’re focused on building a solid engine; AI simply accelerates our development and expands our imagination," he explains. Whether the market is inflated remains uncertain, but the founders are confident that a well‑engineered product will survive any correction.
Funding for Immens is still in early stages. The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee cautions against over‑funding, noting that excess capital can breed complacency and diminish the scrappy mindset needed for a startup.
The team remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design, believing that a small, focused group can make critical decisions more effectively than a massive, unwieldy staff. Immens is now racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. Originally slated for year‑end delivery, the team has already accelerated the timeline, aiming to release the demo within the current month. "We’re moving twice as fast as we anticipated," Brussee remarks, underscoring the speed gains that AI can deliver.
Business‑model discussions are ongoing. While Immens appreciates Epic’s "we succeed when you succeed" licensing philosophy, the company deems it premature to commit to a specific revenue structure.
Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will empower creators to push artistic boundaries, take risks, and inject fresh innovation into the industry. "We love games and want to see more daring, creative experiences," Brussee concludes.
"If our technology helps make that happen, it would be amazing."