From Epic and Guerilla to a New Game Engine Alternative
Arjan Brussee, best known as a co-founder of Guerilla Games and a former technical director at Epic Games, is now building The Immense Engine, a new contender in the game engine space. Rather than simply offering another toolset, he describes it as a “European alternative” to major US-developed engines such as Unreal and Unity. The positioning is as much strategic as technical: Brussee wants The Immense Engine to be fully hosted and developed within a local regulatory framework, aligning with rules and guidelines distinct from those governing existing platforms. For developers, this creates a potential Unreal Engine competitor that emphasises governance, infrastructure control, and a different approach to how core 3D software is run and updated. The Immense Engine therefore enters AI game development not only as a fresh technology stack, but also as a statement about who builds and oversees the tools shaping virtual worlds.
AI-Heavy Design: Generative Tools at the Core
What sets The Immense Engine apart is its explicit commitment to “full” generative AI integration. Brussee argues that the rise of AI requires a fundamental rethink of how essential software like game engines is designed. Instead of traditional workflows dominated by manual menu-clicking, his vision leans on frameworks of AI agents that automate large portions of content creation and world-building. He claims that, with the right setup, a small team using AI could match the output of ten or fifteen people. For AI game development, this suggests pipelines where designers and developers orchestrate intelligent tools rather than execute every asset or system by hand. While established engines such as Unreal are already adding generative features, The Immense Engine aims to be an AI-first stack from day one, using automation as a primary differentiator in a crowded market of game engine alternatives.
Beyond Games: Simulations, Defence and Strategic Autonomy
Brussee stresses that creating usable 3D worlds is increasingly important outside traditional gaming. Game engines already underpin simulations, training environments and other real-time applications, and The Immense Engine is explicitly targeting those domains, including potential defence use cases. In this context, its framing as a locally built and hosted platform carries political weight. Authorities and enterprises looking to reduce dependence on foreign technology suppliers may see value in a toolchain aligned with local regulations and oversight. For defence and public-sector simulations, this could help address concerns about data residency, operational sovereignty, and long-term control over critical software infrastructure. As a result, The Immense Engine is being pitched not only as an Unreal Engine competitor for entertainment studios, but also as a strategic platform for organisations that treat real-time 3D technology as part of their broader digital and security infrastructure.
Market Implications for Developers and Existing Engines
For developers, The Immense Engine’s promise is twofold: an AI-intensive workflow that could change team structures, and a governance model distinct from major US-led platforms. Studios that feel locked into existing ecosystems may evaluate it as a game engine alternative that offers more automation and different compliance guarantees. However, its ambitions also underline the risks and trade-offs of AI-driven development: while productivity gains are highlighted, the underlying narrative suggests potential cost-cutting and smaller teams, raising questions about jobs, creative control, and long-term maintainability. Meanwhile, established engines like Unreal and Unity are already investing heavily in generative tools, meaning The Immense Engine must prove its AI-first architecture delivers tangible, unique advantages. Until release details, tooling quality and licensing terms are known, it remains an intriguing Unreal Engine competitor on paper—one that crystallises current debates about AI, infrastructure sovereignty and the future of game creation.