Europe may soon get a non‑U.S. alternative to Unreal Engine

At a glance:

• Arjan Brussee proposes the Immense Engine as a fully European‑hosted game engine.
• The project aims to match Unreal Engine’s general‑purpose capabilities while being AI‑assisted, possibly using Mistral models.
• European governments, such as France’s recent switch to Linux, signal growing appetite for home‑grown tech infrastructure.

What is the Immense Engine?

The Immense Engine is being pitched as a general‑purpose 3D software platform that could serve as a true European alternative to Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. In a recent appearance on the Dutch technology podcast De Technoloog, Brussee described the engine as “fully European‑hosted, built by Europeans, and complies with European rules and guidelines.” The ambition is not merely to clone Unreal’s feature set, but to create a framework that can be used across gaming, film, and even non‑entertainment 3D applications such as simulations and training environments.

While Unreal Engine underpins blockbuster titles like Fortnite, Gears of War, Bioshock Infinite, Mass Effect, and Batman: Arkham City, it also powers Hollywood productions such as The Mandalorian and a wide range of children’s YouTube content. Brussee argues that Europe’s reliance on a U.S.‑owned engine creates strategic and regulatory exposure, and that a domestically controlled engine would give developers more freedom to comply with GDPR‑style data rules and other regional standards.

Brussee’s credentials and ties to Epic Games

Arjan Brussee is no stranger to the world’s most successful game engines. He co‑founded Guerrilla Games, the studio behind Horizon: Zero Dawn, and spent multiple decades working directly with Epic Games, the parent company of Unreal Engine. His résumé includes contributions to the original Unreal series and the development of tools that helped shape modern real‑time rendering pipelines.

Because of his deep experience inside Epic, Brussee is uniquely positioned to understand both the technical underpinnings of Unreal and the business ecosystem that surrounds it. This insider knowledge, combined with his reputation as a successful gaming entrepreneur, gives the Immense Engine project a degree of credibility that few European‑based initiatives have managed to secure.

European context and demand for home‑grown tools

The timing of Brussee’s announcement aligns with a broader European push for technological sovereignty. Last month, the French government began a large‑scale migration from Windows to Linux across public administrations, signaling a willingness to replace entrenched U.S. software with home‑grown alternatives. Similar discussions are taking place in the defense and aerospace sectors, where reliance on foreign codebases can raise security concerns.

Game developers across the continent have also expressed frustration with the limited adoption of existing European engines. Germany’s CryEngine, while technically impressive and linked to the Far Cry franchise, remains heavily focused on first‑person shooters and has struggled to gain traction beyond niche studios. The Immense Engine’s promise of “Unreal‑like generalizability” could fill a gap for developers seeking a versatile, cross‑genre tool that respects European regulatory frameworks.

Technical ambitions: AI‑assisted development and compliance

One of the most striking claims from Brussee is that the Immense Engine will be heavily AI‑assisted. He noted that “the rise of AI means that we need to approach the development of this kind of crucial software differently,” and suggested that a well‑designed AI framework could allow a small team to accomplish the work of ten or fifteen people. While no specific technical roadmap was disclosed, industry observers speculate that Brussee may partner with French AI startup Mistral AI, whose large‑language models are fully European‑owned and could provide the backbone for procedural content generation, automated testing, and intelligent asset optimization.

If the engine integrates such AI capabilities, it could dramatically lower the barrier to entry for smaller studios, enabling rapid prototyping of 3D worlds without the need for extensive manual coding. Moreover, an AI‑first approach could help enforce compliance with European standards by automatically checking data handling practices, privacy settings, and export‑control regulations during the development pipeline.

Competition and challenges ahead

Despite the enthusiasm, the Immense Engine faces steep competition. Unreal Engine remains free to use up to a certain revenue threshold and offers a mature marketplace, extensive documentation, and a massive developer community. CryEngine, while limited in genre focus, still provides a viable alternative for studios that can tolerate its learning curve.

Beyond market forces, the project must navigate complex legal and technical hurdles. Building a fully European‑hosted infrastructure requires data centers that meet stringent sovereignty requirements, and the engine must be compatible with a wide array of hardware configurations across the continent. Additionally, attracting third‑party plugin developers and maintaining a robust ecosystem will be essential for long‑term success.

Outlook and next steps

Brussee did not reveal a concrete release timeline, but his comments hint at a multi‑year development horizon. The first public milestone is expected to be a developer preview, likely limited to a handful of European studios willing to test early builds and provide feedback on performance, toolchain integration, and AI features.

If the Immense Engine can deliver on its promises—European hosting, AI‑driven productivity, and broad genre support—it could become a cornerstone of a more autonomous European gaming and media production industry. Observers will be watching closely how the project secures funding, partners with AI providers like Mistral, and builds a community that can rival the entrenched ecosystems surrounding Unreal and Unity.