European Game Engine: Unreal Rival Built by Killzone Creator
AI Summary
- Arjan Brussee, former Guerrilla Games co-founder and Epic technical director, announced Immensive Engine as a European alternative to Unreal and Unity with AI built into the core engine rather than added as plugins.
- The engine addresses EU data compliance and GDPR requirements natively, giving European developers an engine that does not require additional legal configuration for local regulations.
- AI agents integrated at the engine level could allow small teams to do work that currently requires ten to fifteen people, according to Brussee.
- No release date, pricing model, or funding details have been disclosed, and the engine faces significant competition from Unreal’s 25-year head start and large developer community.
- Major publishers including Krafton and Square Enix have declared AI-first strategies, making a native-AI engine a potentially attractive option despite the competitive barriers.
A new European game engine built by former Killzone developers is challenging Unreal Engine’s dominance with a focus on cinematic rendering and developer-friendly licensing. This guide covers Immensive, the European game engine aiming to be the first viable Unreal alternative from outside the US and Asia.
Killzone sold 4.5 million copies. The engine behind it was Decima, built from scratch in the Netherlands. Now the co-founder of that studio is building something bigger: a European game engine designed to break the Unreal and Unity duopoly.
See our guide on game engine 2026 comparison for more.
On May 10, 2026, former Guerrilla Games co-founder and Epic Games technical director Arjan Brussee announced “The Immensive Engine” in an interview with De Technoloog. The engine is being built as a fully European-hosted alternative to Epic’s Unreal Engine and Unity, with AI integration built in from day one rather than bolted on later.
This article covers what the Immensive Engine offers, why AI-native design matters, how the engine positions against Unreal 6 and Unity 7, and the regulatory landscape that makes this project viable.
Who Is Arjan Brussee and Why Does He Matter?
Arjan Brussee co-founded Guerrilla Games in 2000, leading the studio that created Killzone for PlayStation. He later served as technical director at Epic Games, working directly on Unreal Engine development. He also co-founded Boss Key Productions with Cliff Bleszinski, the creator of Gears of War and Unreal Tournament.
This is not a random entrepreneur looking for a funding round. Brussee has built a game engine from scratch before (Decima, which Guerrilla later used for Horizon Zero Dawn), worked inside the company that owns the industry-standard engine (Epic), and understands both the technical and business challenges facing engine developers.
Eurogamer reported that Brussee told De Technoloog: “No one is currently making an engine that is fully European-hosted, built by Europeans, and complies with European rules and guidelines.”
Immensive Engine vs Unreal vs Unity: A Competitive Comparison
| Feature | Immensive Engine | Unreal Engine 6 | Unity 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Netherlands (EU) | Cary, North Carolina (US) | San Francisco (US) |
| AI integration | Built from ground up | Added via plugins | Added via plugins |
| EU data law compliance | Native (GDPR, DSA) | Requires configuration | Requires configuration |
| Cloud infrastructure | European servers | AWS / Azure | Azure / GCP |
| Target platforms | PC, console, mobile | PC, console, mobile, web | Mobile, PC, console |
| Licensing model | Undisclosed | 5% royalty (over $1M) | Subscription + per-seat |
| Release window | Undisclosed | Available now | Available now |
AI-First Design: What Makes It Different
The core difference between Immensive Engine and existing engines is how AI is handled. Epic’s Unreal Engine was built in an era when developers clicked through menus with a mouse. AI features were added later as plugins, middleware, or blueprint systems that sit on top of the rendering engine.
Brussee argues this approach is outdated. In the VGC report, he said: “The rise of AI means that we need to approach the development of this kind of important software differently. As an old hand with a vision of how things should work, I see opportunities there.”
The Immensive Engine integrates AI agents at the engine level rather than as an overlay. This means tasks that currently require ten to fifteen people can be handled by one person with a properly designed AI agent framework. Brussee said: “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.”
This is not about replacing developers. It is about changing the pipeline so that AI agents handle repetitive optimization tasks, asset tagging, and build management while human developers focus on creative decisions.
The European Regulatory Advantage
Europe’s Digital Services Act and GDPR create a regulatory environment that is increasingly challenging for US-based tech companies. Data hosted on US servers, even when serving European customers, can trigger compliance complications. An engine built and hosted entirely within the EU eliminates these issues by design.
Brussee pointed out that 3D world creation is becoming increasingly important for purposes beyond gaming. Architecture, industrial design, training simulations, and virtual production all use game engines. European companies in these sectors may prefer an engine that is guaranteed compliant with local regulations without additional configuration layers.
In the De Technoloog interview, Brussee noted: “Creating usable 3D worlds is becoming increasingly important, certainly for purposes other than just gaming.”
Why the European Game Engine Matters for Game Developers
For independent studios and mid-size developers, the game engine market has effectively been a duopoly for a decade. Unreal dominates high-end 3D. Unity dominates mobile and indie 2D. Both are US-based. Licensing changes from either company directly affect thousands of studios worldwide.
When Epic raised its royalty rates for Unreal Engine 6 and Unity controversially changed its pricing model in 2023, developers felt the pain with no real alternative. A European engine with competitive pricing and EU compliance gives developers bargaining power that they currently lack.
Major publishers including Krafton and Square Enix have declared themselves AI-first companies. An engine that integrates AI natively rather than as an afterthought could become an attractive option for these publishers looking to reduce development headcount while maintaining quality.
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Limitations and Unknowns
The Immensive Engine faces massive barriers. Unreal Engine has a 25-year head start. It powers most AAA games, runs on every platform, and has the largest developer community of any engine. Convincing studios to switch engines is like convincing a city to change its electrical grid.
The engine does not have a release date, pricing model, or demonstrable technology. Brussee’s interview described the vision but showed no working prototype. Unity and Epic will not remain static. By the time Immensive Engine reaches beta, both competitors will have added stronger AI features to their existing platforms.
Funding the European game engine is an open question. Building a competitive game engine costs hundreds of millions of dollars. Brussee did not disclose investors or funding rounds in the interview.
Related: GTA 6 Price 2026: Take-Two CEO Just Dropped t
Limitations to Consider
Every game and platform has tradeoffs. Performance varies by hardware configuration, online features require stable internet connections, and not all titles support cross-platform play. Prices are subject to change and regional differences may apply. Always check system requirements before purchasing, and consider that sale prices during Steam events can save 30 to 70 percent on most titles.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is the Immensive Engine?
Immensive Engine is a new game engine being developed by Arjan Brussee, the co-founder of Guerrilla Games and former Epic Games technical director. It is designed as a European alternative to Unreal Engine and Unity.
Q2: When will the Immensive Engine be released?
No release date has been announced. The engine was publicly revealed in a May 2026 interview but is still in development without a confirmed availability window.
Q3: How is the Immensive Engine different from Unreal?
Immensive Engine is AI-native, meaning AI agents are built into the core engine rather than added as plugins. It is also fully European-hosted for GDPR and DSA compliance.
Q4: Who is funding the Immensive Engine?
Funding sources have not been publicly disclosed. Arjan Brussee did not name investors in the initial interview.
Q5: Will the Immensive Engine be free or license-based?
The licensing model has not been announced. Brussee’s interview focused on the technical vision rather than the business model.
Q6: Can existing Unreal projects migrate to Immensive Engine?
No migration path has been announced. As a new engine being built from scratch, there is no compatibility with existing Unreal or Unity projects.
Q7: Who is the target audience for this engine?
The engine targets game developers as well as non-gaming industries that use 3D engines for architecture, simulation, and virtual production in the European market.
