Industry veteran Arjan Brussee announces plans to build European-based games engine
Arjan Brussee, co-founder of Guerrilla Games and former technical director at Epic Games, has announced plans to develop The Immense Engine, positioning it as “a European alternative” to dominant game engines such as Unreal and Unity.
According to Brussee, there is currently no game engine that is fully European-hosted, developed by European teams, and fully compliant with European regulations and guidelines. The Immense Engine aims to fill this gap, addressing concerns around data sovereignty and alignment with European standards.
The engine will feature comprehensive generative AI integration as a central component, reflecting the growing importance of AI tools in game development. Brussee has also indicated potential applications beyond consumer gaming, particularly in the defence and military simulation sectors, where game engines have become increasingly valuable for training and strategic visualization.
The announcement reflects broader industry trends toward developing technology infrastructure that operates independently from US-based companies and regulatory frameworks. This is particularly relevant in Europe, where regulatory concerns—including data protection and digital sovereignty—have driven interest in European-developed alternatives to established platforms.
Brusse’s background at both Guerrilla Games and Epic Games provides significant credibility to the project. His experience at Epic, a company that develops Unreal Engine, suggests deep knowledge of what European developers need from an engine and how to position a competitive alternative.
The project is still in development, with no release date or extensive technical details currently available. However, the announcement signals an ambitious effort to reshape the game engine landscape in Europe and potentially beyond.