For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game creation, accounting for roughly 70% of the titles released on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have gained traction and some studios still rely on proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a notable example—the market has largely been monopolised by these two giants.
Enter Immens, a fledgling studio founded by three seasoned veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient. Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of the industry, 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, one that addresses the shortcomings of the status quo and leverages the latest advances in artificial intelligence.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee explained that the timing feels right: “A few years ago, the idea of building a new engine from scratch seemed impossible. With AI‑assisted programming, we can now start from a clean slate and bring full‑featured tools to market much faster.” He emphasised that the goal is not to replace developers with a magic button, but to give them a platform that can be extended and customised with unprecedented speed. Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI component is not about generating assets through prompts, but about constructing an engine architecture that is inherently extensible.
“AI excels at reasoning over large codebases and data sets,” he said. “If we design the core with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can add a bespoke particle system or a custom shading model without wrestling with opaque scripting layers.” This philosophy underpins Immens’s promise to let creators augment the engine quickly, using AI as an accelerator rather than a black‑box. The motivation behind the project is rooted in the current economic climate of game development. Brussee described the environment as “rough,” noting that production budgets are ballooning and the risk of failure is higher than ever.
“We need new ways of working that lower costs and enable smaller teams to ship high‑quality experiences faster,” he argued. The team believes that by integrating AI‑driven tooling, studios can cut down on repetitive tasks, shorten iteration cycles, and ultimately reduce the financial pressure that threatens many independent ventures. De Jong, who serves as chief product officer, pointed out that the engine market has become overly standardised and consolidated.
While this has provided a solid foundation, it also stifles innovation. “The industry faces a series of challenges, and simply continuing to do what we’ve always done won’t solve them,” he said.
“We need a paradigm shift—flexibility, modularity, and the ability for the engine to adapt to the developer’s workflow rather than the other way around.” One of the pain points with existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers must conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines, which can be a barrier to creativity. Immens aims to flip this script by offering an engine that can be reshaped on the fly. De Jong illustrated this with a personal example: “I can build tools that match my exact workflow—specific shortcuts, interfaces, and features—so my team can work exactly the way we need to.” This level of customisation, powered by AI assistance, is intended to make the engine feel like an extension of the developer rather than a constraint.
Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can behave unpredictably if left unchecked. To mitigate this, Immens is being built with transparency in mind: users will have full visibility into what the AI is doing, a complete history of changes, and the ability to roll back or modify actions.
“You should always know why a tool made a particular decision,” he explained. “That reproducibility is crucial for a reliable development pipeline.” The architecture of Immens is deliberately open. The team plans to rely on text‑based, open‑standard file formats so that external applications—whether it’s Blender, Maya, or a custom generative‑AI tool—can communicate seamlessly.
Brussee highlighted the importance of this approach: “When files are human‑readable, any program can parse them, and the AI can manipulate them directly. This interoperability is a game‑changer compared to the closed ecosystems of many current engines.” There is a growing backlash against AI in game development, often fueled by sensational claims that a single prompt could spawn a Grand Theft Auto‑scale world. Immens’s founders acknowledge the hype but stress that they view AI as a tool, not a replacement for human creativity. Valient summed it up: “AI will make everyone better, but the art still comes from people.” De Jong added a note of responsibility: “Any technology can be misused; it’s up to us to ensure it serves constructive purposes.” Economic concerns also swirl around AI, with many questioning whether the current frenzy is a bubble.
Valient compared it to the dot‑com era, noting that while some companies will fail, the underlying technology will endure. “AI isn’t disappearing; it’s becoming the infrastructure that powers the next wave of innovation,” he said. Funding for Immens remains modest.
The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed amounts, describing the capital they seek as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against over‑funding, noting that excess cash can breed complacency. “Startups need to stay scrappy,” he laughed. The company currently consists of the three founders plus a handful of helpers, a lean structure they consider essential for making rapid, focused decisions.
Immens is now working toward a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a full editing workflow powered by generative AI, slated for release later this month. The timeline has already outpaced their original estimates—what they thought would take a year is now shaping up in half that time.
Regarding the business model, Brussee expressed admiration for Epic’s “we succeed when you succeed” licensing scheme but admitted it’s too early to commit to a specific approach. Ultimately, the team hopes their engine will enable more daring, artistic games to reach players.
“We love games and want to see more risk‑taking and creativity,” Brussee concluded. “If our technology can help push the medium forward, that would be amazing.”