Why This Epic Games Executive Left To Build A New Game Engine | Gamer Galaxy

Why do so many AAA games feel increasingly expensive — but increasingly familiar?

After 12 years at Epic Games and 27 years working with Unreal Engine, veteran game developer and executive Sjoerd De Jong left the company to help build something new: Immens Engine.

In this episode of Gamer Galaxy, Sjoerd joins host Cher Hwang to explain why he believes the video game industry has reached a pivotal moment. They examine ballooning development costs, market saturation, risk-averse studios, the limitations of free-to-play games and the growing divide between older gamers and a younger, social-first generation raised on Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite.

Sjoerd also explains what Immens Engine is designed to do differently from Unreal Engine and Unity—and why he believes AI can help developers experiment faster without replacing human creativity.


Key takeaways:

???? Why AAA games have become increasingly formulaic
???? What Roblox understood before much of the traditional games industry
???? The problem facing free-to-play and live-service games
???? Why Sjoerd left Epic Games after 12 years
???? How Immens Engine differs from Unreal Engine and Unity
???? He sees AI’s strongest near-term role as accelerating prototypes, testing and iteration—not replacing developers.

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????Follow Cher Hwang on YouTube
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherhwangtv/

Learn more about Immens Engine: https://immens.dev
Learn more about Sjoerd De Jong: https://www.hourences.com/

#UnrealEngine #GameDevelopment #GamingIndustry
#EpicGames #ArtificialIntelligence #GameEngine #AIinGaming #IndieGames



Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Industry Challenges and Opportunities
02:10 Chud Ryong's Transition from Epic Games to Entrepreneurship
04:28 Current Challenges in the Video Games Industry
08:45 Market Saturation and Player Engagement Trends
12:12 What a Healthy Game Industry Looks Like
13:20 The Creation of Immense Engine
17:14 Reflections on Unreal Engine's Legacy
20:13 The Future of Business Models in Gaming
22:28 Generational Shifts and Gaming Preferences
33:30 Introducing Immense Engine and Its Goals
36:38 How Immense Engine Supports Developer Creativity
39:17 The Role of AI in Future Game Development
43:41 Development Timeline and Future Plans for Immense Engine
45:20 The Evolving Landscape of Game Engines|

Credit:
Host: Cher Hwang
Executive Producer: Andy Gipson
Senior producer: Cher Hwang
Editor: Irit Nayden

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