For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, powering roughly 70% of the titles that appeared on Steam in 2025. While open‑source options like Godot have begun to gain traction, the majority of larger studios still rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—leaving Unity and Unreal with a near‑monopoly on the engine market.
Enter Immersive’s founders—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—three industry veterans who believe there is still room for a fresh, competitive engine. Their résumés read like a who's‑who of game‑tech powerhouses: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they aim to challenge the status quo. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right for a new engine that simply didn’t exist a few years ago.
“With AI‑assisted programming, you can start building from the ground up again,” he said. “With the right guidance and control, you can create a fully functional system much faster than before.” Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that their use of AI is not about generating content from a single prompt. Instead, the AI 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 engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can add custom features—like a bespoke particle system—without being limited to simple scripting.” This approach, he argues, empowers creators to extend the engine quickly and safely. The motivation behind Immens stems from the current bleak landscape of game development economics.
Brussee described the environment as “rough,” emphasizing that production costs are spiralling upward, making it increasingly difficult for small studios to survive. “We need new ways of working that lower costs and shrink team sizes while still delivering high‑quality experiences,” he said.
“Otherwise, developers risk their livelihoods and studios.” De Jong, the chief product officer, pointed 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 many challenges, and simply repeating the old methods isn’t enough,” he argued. “We need genuine innovation, not just more of the same.” One of the key criticisms 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, delivering an engine that molds itself to the developer’s needs. “Flexibility is essential,” he explained. “You should be able to swap components, append new tools, and craft interfaces that match your personal workflow—down to the exact shortcuts and UI layout you prefer.” Valient acknowledges that AI, while powerful, can be unpredictable if left unchecked. “We’re building Immens so that the user remains in full control,” he said.
“You can see exactly what the engine is doing, trace its history, and ensure repeatable results. This transparency lets you create bespoke tools for specific problems—like generating five characters with a unique trait—in minutes instead of weeks.” Immens’s philosophy is to avoid imposing a single workflow on its users. De Jong emphasized that the framework and architecture are deliberately open‑ended: “You decide how much AI to incorporate and where to apply it.
The engine should understand your intentions correctly, but it won’t force a particular process on you.” Interoperability is another pillar of Immens’s design. By adopting open standards and text‑based file formats, the engine can seamlessly communicate with other tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline. “When files are readable as plain text, any system can parse them,” Brussee noted. “That means the AI can manipulate assets directly, and you can plug in existing software without wrestling with closed‑source quirks.” This openness contrasts with many current engines that act as isolated ecosystems.
The broader gaming community remains divided over AI’s role. Some pundits on LinkedIn hype the idea of “click‑to‑game” experiences that could produce Grand Theft Auto‑scale worlds from a single prompt. Immens’s team, while not dismissing such possibilities, view AI primarily as an empowering tool rather than a magic wand. “AI will make developers better, not replace them,” Valient asserted.
“The current backlash stems from fear of disruption at an unprecedented scale.” Economic concerns also loom large. Critics warn that AI‑focused startups may be inflating a bubble with lofty valuations.
Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com era: “The internet didn’t disappear after the bubble burst; many companies fell, but the technology endured. We’re focused on building a solid engine, using AI to accelerate development and dream bigger. Whether it’s a bubble is uncertain, but the technology itself isn’t going away.” Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its “first commitments,” though the founders have not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against excessive capital, noting that too much money can breed complacency: “Startups need to stay scrappy; otherwise you become lazy.” The company remains a lean operation—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers.
This intentional small size allows for rapid decision‑making and careful iteration. De Jong explained the trade‑off: “You can’t throw a million developers at an engine and expect it to work. You need a focused team to make thoughtful choices, yet you also need enough resources to hit the market window created by AI’s rise.” Immens is currently racing toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release later this month.
Brussee revealed that the team originally projected a year‑long timeline, yet they are already moving twice as fast. “Timelines are fluid in this space, but the speed we’re achieving is encouraging.” The business model is still being fleshed out. While Immens admires Epic Games’ “we succeed when you succeed” revenue sharing, Brussee admitted it’s too early to commit to a specific approach.
Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will enable creators to push the medium forward, fostering more artistic risk‑taking and innovative gameplay. “We love games and want to see more daring, expressive experiences,” Brussee concluded. “If our technology can help developers take bigger creative leaps, that would be amazing."