Former Epic executive is building a "European alternative" to Unreal Engine

Guerrilla Games co-founder and former Epic Games executive Arjan Brussee is developing the Immense Engine, a new AI‑driven game engine pitched as a “fully European” alternative to Unreal and Unity.

The details:

• Brussee, who programmed Epic’s Jazz Jackrabbit games in the 1990s, co‑founded Guerrilla Games in 2003 and later spent eight years at the latter as the global director of product management for Unreal Engine, says he is now building The Immense Engine with a Dutch startup.
• Speaking with Dutch podcast De Technoloog, Brussee stated that “no one is currently making an engine that is fully European hosted, built by Europeans, and complies with European rules and guidelines.” He added that the upcoming engine can also be used beyond gaming, such as for creating simulations for defense or logistics.
• The exec also said that he sees Immense Engine as an opportunity to properly integrate AI tools, as current engines were made prior to the technology's rapid rise. “The rise of AI means that we need to approach the development of this kind of crucial software differently,” he said. “As an old hand with a vision of how things should work, I see opportunities there… 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.”
• The Immense Engine has no public release date or technical specifications as of yet, but Brussee positions it as a long‑term rival to Unreal Engine 5 and Unity rather than a niche tool, with the goal of giving European studios another high‑end option for large‑scale 3D projects.