Overview
Arjan Brussee, co-founder of Guerrilla Games and former technical director at Epic Games, has left the American studio to develop a new game engine he calls "the Immense Engine." The engine is positioned as a fully European alternative to Unreal Engine and Unity, built from the ground up around artificial intelligence.
Brussee revealed his plans on the Dutch tech podcast De Technoloog, describing a vision for engine development that incorporates AI agents as core modules, with large language models integrated directly into the software framework. [1]
What the Immense Engine Does
Unlike existing engines designed for manual workflows, the Immense Engine will use AI agents as fundamental building blocks. Brussee stated, according to translated remarks reported by Video Games Chronicle: "If you are smart and know how to put a good framework of AI agents to work, you can do the work of ten or fifteen people." He added that "the rise of AI means that we need to approach the development of this kind of crucial software differently." [2]
The engine is explicitly designed to be AI-native, meaning large language models are not bolted on as an afterthought but are integrated directly into the engine's architecture. This approach could dramatically reduce the number of developers needed to create games, simulations, or other real-time 3D applications.
European Sovereignty Play
The Immense Engine is explicitly framed as a matter of European technological independence. "No one is currently making an engine that is fully European-hosted, built by Europeans, and complies with European rules and guidelines," Brussee said. [1]
He is developing the project through a Dutch startup, with applications intended to extend well beyond gaming into defence and logistics — sectors where European data sovereignty and regulatory compliance carry particular weight. [3]
The announcement comes amid a broader European push to reduce reliance on American technology platforms. Gizmodo noted that the French government recently began transitioning from Windows to Linux, part of a growing pattern of digital sovereignty efforts across the continent. [1]
Credibility and Caution
Brussee's credentials lend weight to the undertaking. He co-founded Guerrilla Games, the Amsterdam-based studio behind the Killzone and Horizon series, and spent years at Epic Games working on Fortnite and Unreal Engine as technical director. He also co-created Jazz Jackrabbit with Epic's Tim Sweeney in the 1990s. [2][3]
Still, no launch date, technical specifications, or funding details have been disclosed. European game engines have struggled historically — Germany's CryEngine, associated with the Far Cry franchise, never achieved broad adoption outside first-person shooters. Whether the Immense Engine can overcome similar challenges remains an open question, though Brussee's track record on both sides of the Atlantic gives the effort a foundation few competitors could claim. [1]
Tradeoffs and Open Questions
- No technical details yet: No information on rendering pipelines, physics systems, or supported platforms has been released.
- Funding unknown: It is unclear whether the project is self-funded, venture-backed, or supported by European grants.
- Market adoption: Unreal Engine and Unity have massive ecosystems of developers, assets, and training materials. A new engine, even with AI advantages, faces a steep adoption curve.
- AI reliability: AI agents in game development are still experimental. Hallucinations, unpredictable behavior, and quality control remain unsolved problems in production environments.
Bottom Line
Arjan Brussee's Immense Engine is a credible attempt to build a European, AI-native alternative to Unreal Engine and Unity. The combination of a veteran developer, a clear sovereignty angle, and an AI-first architecture makes it worth watching. But until concrete technical specifications, a release timeline, and funding details emerge, it remains a promising concept rather than a proven product.