For years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces behind most video game projects, accounting for roughly 70% of all titles released on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have enjoyed notable growth, and large publishers continue to rely on proprietary solutions such as Capcom’s RE Engine, the market has largely settled into a duopoly. Against this backdrop, three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—have decided to challenge the status quo with a fresh offering: Immens, an AI‑enhanced game engine designed to give small teams a competitive edge. The trio’s résumés read like a who’s‑who of modern game development.
Brussee and De Jong have previously contributed to Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, while Valient’s experience spans Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple’s internal tooling groups. Their collective expertise fuels a belief that the engine market still has room for innovation. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right: “A few years ago the idea of building a brand‑new engine from scratch seemed unrealistic, but with AI‑assisted programming we can finally start over and deliver full‑featured tools much faster.” Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that the company’s use of AI differs from the hype‑driven “prompt‑to‑asset” narrative that dominates headlines. Instead of generating content on demand, Immens leverages AI to make the engine itself more extensible.
“AI excels at reasoning over large codebases,” he says. “If we architect the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers can plug in custom systems—like a bespoke particle renderer—without wrestling with rigid scripting layers.” This approach aims to let creators focus on design rather than plumbing, accelerating iteration cycles.
The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic pressures facing developers. Brussee describes the environment as “rough,” noting that production budgets are ballooning and the risk of failure is higher than ever. “We need new workflows that shrink costs and enable teams to ship games faster with fewer people,” he argues. De Jong echoes this sentiment, observing that the engine landscape has become overly standardized and consolidated.
While standardization offers a stable foundation, he believes the industry now demands genuine innovation rather than incremental updates. One of the core criticisms De Jong levels at existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers often must conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, limiting creativity.
By contrast, an AI‑aware engine can adapt to a developer’s preferred tools and workflows. “Flexibility is essential,” he explains.
“You should be able to swap components, extend functionality, and craft custom interfaces that match your team’s unique needs.” This philosophy underpins Immens’ design, which intentionally avoids imposing a single workflow on its users. Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword. While it can dramatically speed up tasks—such as generating a set of characters with specific traits in minutes instead of weeks—it can also behave unpredictably if left unchecked. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: users can trace the engine’s decisions, review its history, and ensure reproducibility.
This level of oversight is meant to keep the creative process grounded and prevent the “black‑box” pitfalls that have plagued other AI tools. Immens also champions open standards to foster interoperability. Brussee points out that text‑based file formats are inherently readable by both humans and machines, allowing AI to manipulate them directly.
By embracing widely adopted standards, Immens hopes to integrate smoothly with industry staples such as Blender, Maya, and other generative pipelines. “When everything speaks the same language, you can plug in any tool without friction,” he says. The broader conversation around AI in game development is polarized. Some commentators predict a future where a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale experience, fueling fears of “click‑to‑game” solutions that diminish craftsmanship.
Immens’ founders reject that extreme vision, positioning AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement for human talent. Valient notes, “AI will make every developer better; the negative perception stems from the scale of disruption we’re witnessing.” De Jong adds that responsible use is a collective duty: “Any technology can be misused, but it’s up to us to guide it toward constructive outcomes.” Economic anxieties also linger, especially regarding the hype‑driven valuation bubbles surrounding AI startups.
Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, reminding listeners that while many companies will fade, the underlying technology endures. “AI isn’t disappearing; it’s becoming the new infrastructure for creativity,” he asserts. Immens aims to be a durable player by focusing on building a solid engine first, using AI to accelerate development rather than as a gimmick. Funding remains modest at this stage.
The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee warns against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency. The company deliberately remains lean—just the three founders and a handful of helpers—to maintain agility and avoid the pitfalls of over‑staffing. Immens is currently targeting a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release within the month.
The team originally projected a year‑long timeline but has already halved that estimate, underscoring the speed gains they attribute to AI integration. As for the business model, Brussee hints at a partnership approach similar to Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” revenue share, though concrete plans are still being refined. Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will empower creators to push artistic boundaries and take risks that were previously untenable due to cost and complexity.
“We love games and want to see more daring, expressive experiences,” Brussee says. “If our technology can help bring that vision to life, it would be amazing.”