For many years, Unity and Unreal have reigned supreme in the game‑development world, accounting for roughly 70% of all Steam releases in 2025. While the open‑source Godot engine has made notable strides and large studios still cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been monopolized by the two giants. Into this entrenched landscape step three seasoned industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient, the founders of Immens.
Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game‑tech powerhouses, featuring stints at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they believe there is still room for a fresh engine that tackles the shortcomings of existing tools.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is now ideal for a new platform, noting that "a few years ago the kind of engine we envision simply didn’t exist." He points to the rise of AI‑assisted programming as a catalyst that allows developers to start from a clean slate while still retaining tight guidance and control. "With AI support, you can build something functional very quickly," he said.
Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI they employ isn’t the typical "prompt‑to‑content" gimmick that dominates headlines. Instead, their AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. "AI can reason over massive codebases and data sets," he explained. "If we design the core with that capability in mind, even solo creators or tiny teams can plug in custom features—like a bespoke particle system—without being confined to a limited scripting layer.
The goal is to let users harness AI to accelerate extensions, not replace the development process." The motivation behind Immens’s AI‑centric approach stems from the current state of the games market, which Brussee describes as "rough." Development costs keep climbing, making it increasingly difficult for small studios to survive. "We need new ways of working that lower risk, shrink budgets, and speed up production," he said.
"If we can make games with fewer people in less time, studios won’t have to gamble their livelihoods on a single title." De Jong, the chief product officer, observes that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a stable foundation, it also stifles innovation. "The industry faces a host of challenges, and simply repeating the old formula isn’t enough," he remarked.
"We need fresh ideas, not just more of the same." A key criticism De Jong has of existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers must adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. With AI, Immens aims to flip that script, offering an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs.
"Flexibility is essential," he said. "You should be able to swap components, append new modules, and build tools that match your personal workflow—down to the exact shortcuts, UI layout, and feature set you require." Valient acknowledges that AI is powerful but can misbehave if left unchecked. To keep developers in the driver’s seat, Immens logs every AI action, providing a transparent history so users can reproduce or reverse steps.
"Imagine needing five characters with a specific trait. Previously that could take weeks; now you could prototype it over coffee and iterate instantly. The tool can be used repeatedly and discarded when it’s no longer needed, dramatically cutting costs," he explained.
Immens’s architecture deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow. "You decide how much AI to involve and where," De Jong emphasized. "Our framework is built to be modular, so you can choose the level of automation that fits your project." Interoperability is another pillar of the platform.
By relying on open, text‑based standards, Immens can read and write files that other tools understand. "If a file is plain text, any program can parse it," Brussee noted. "That means you can seamlessly plug in Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI system without wrestling with proprietary barriers.
Open standards have been evolving, and we want to ride that wave to create smarter, more connected pipelines." The broader AI debate in game development is heated. Some commentators hype "click‑to‑game" promises, suggesting entire open‑world experiences could be generated from a single prompt. Immens’s team tempers those expectations, viewing AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement for human creativity.
"AI will make everyone better, not eliminate the craft," Valient said. "It’s a tool, and like any tool, it can be misused, but the responsibility lies with us to steer it constructively." Economic concerns also loom, with many questioning whether AI‑focused startups are riding a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying technology— the internet—persisted and flourished. "We’re building a solid engine first; AI just accelerates our vision.
Whether the market is a bubble is uncertain, but the technology isn’t going away," he asserted. Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable." Brussee warns against excess capital, saying it can breed complacency. "Startups need to stay scrappy; too much money can make you lazy," he laughed.
The team itself is tiny—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design. De Jong explains that creating an engine is a complex endeavor that doesn’t benefit from a massive headcount.
"A small, focused group can make deliberate decisions and iterate faster," he said. "We also have a narrow window of opportunity as AI reshapes the industry, so we must balance resources with speed." Immens is currently building 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; what they thought would take until year‑end is now arriving in half that time. "Our speed demonstrates the potential of AI‑enhanced development," Brussee noted. As for the business model, Immens admires Epic’s "we succeed when you succeed" licensing philosophy but admits it’s too early to commit to a specific approach.
Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will empower creators to push the medium forward. "We love games and want to see more daring, artistic expression," Brussee concluded. "If our technology can spark that kind of innovation, it would be amazing."