For years, Unity and Unreal have been the go‑to tools for game creators, together powering roughly 70 % of the titles released on Steam in 2025. While Godot has made noticeable strides and some studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been a duopoly. Into this landscape step three industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient, the founders of Immens.
Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game development, with experience at Epic Games (the makers of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they believe there is still room for a fresh engine, one that addresses the shortcomings of today’s dominant platforms. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is right for a new engine because “the opportunity didn’t exist a couple of years ago.” He points to AI‑assisted programming as a catalyst that can let developers start from a clean slate while still retaining tight guidance and control. In his view, AI can accelerate the delivery of full‑featured tools, letting smaller teams move from concept to prototype at a pace previously reserved for studios with deep pockets.
Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, clarifies that the AI they are integrating is not the “prompt‑to‑output” hype that dominates headlines. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make the codebase highly extensible.
"AI can reason over large codebases and data sets," he explains. "If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can plug in a custom particle system or a bespoke animation pipeline without wrestling with opaque scripting layers.
The AI becomes a partner that helps you extend the engine faster, not a magic wand that writes everything for you." The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic realities of game development. Brussee describes the market as "rough" and notes that production costs keep climbing, making it harder for independent creators to survive. He asks whether new workflows can break the cycle of ever‑increasing budgets and larger teams.
The answer, according to the founders, lies in leveraging AI to streamline repetitive tasks, cut down iteration times, and ultimately lower the financial barrier to entry. De Jong, the chief product officer, observes that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has given developers a reliable foundation, it also stifles innovation. "We need a different approach," he says.
"The current monolithic engines force developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines. With AI, we can build an engine that adapts to the developer, not the other way around." Flexibility is a cornerstone of Immens’ design philosophy.
De Jong envisions a system where users can swap components, append new modules, and craft bespoke tools tailored to their specific workflow. He gives a personal example: creating a suite of shortcuts, interfaces, and features that match his own background and the needs of his team. This level of customization, he argues, is essential for fostering creativity and efficiency.
Valient also warns that AI, while powerful, can misbehave if left unchecked. Immens therefore emphasizes transparency and control: users can see exactly what the engine is doing, track its decision history, and ensure repeatability.
This auditability is crucial when AI is used to generate assets or automate processes that would otherwise take weeks of manual labor. "You could dream up five characters with specific traits over a coffee break, use the tool, and then discard it after five runs," Valient says.
"That kind of rapid, low‑cost iteration was unimaginable a few years ago." The engine’s architecture deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow. De Jong stresses that teams can decide how much AI to incorporate and where to place it within their pipeline. The underlying framework is built on open standards, allowing seamless interoperability with tools like Blender, Maya, or other generative platforms.
"When files are text‑based, any program can read them," Brussee notes. "Our AI can parse those files and act on them, making integration straightforward.
This openness solves a long‑standing pain point where proprietary engines acted as closed ecosystems." Public sentiment toward AI in game development is mixed, with some critics fearing a future where entire games can be conjured by a single prompt. Immens acknowledges the hype but frames AI as a tool, not a replacement for human creativity.
Valient believes AI will elevate the skill of developers, making them more productive rather than rendering them obsolete. "The technology has negative connotations now because it’s disrupting at an unprecedented scale," he says.
"But any tool can be misused; it’s our responsibility to guide its use responsibly." Economic anxieties also swirl around the AI boom, with many questioning whether the sector is a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying internet persisted and flourished.
He argues that Immens is focused on building a solid engine first; AI simply accelerates that process. Whether the market is inflated is uncertain, but the team is committed to delivering a product that stands on its own merits. Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the capital sought as "reasonable." Brussee cautions against overfunding, warning that excess cash can breed complacency.
The company remains lean, consisting of the three founders and a handful of helpers, a deliberate choice to stay scrappy and focused. Development is progressing quickly.
Immens aims to release a proof‑of‑concept demo this month that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. Brussee admits the timeline was initially projected to stretch to year‑end, yet the team is already moving at double that speed.
While the ultimate business model is still under discussion, the founders admire Epic’s "we succeed when you succeed" philosophy but acknowledge it is too early to commit to any specific revenue structure. Ultimately, the trio hopes Immens will empower creators to push the boundaries of interactive art. "We love games and want to see more risk‑taking, more creativity," Brussee concludes.
"If our technology can help bring innovative experiences to life, that would be amazing."