The AI Engine Circus Just Got Another Clown
Another week, another "disruptive" game engine announcement from someone who definitely definitely definitely will deliver this time. Arjan Brussee, an Epic Games veteran, has emerged from the void to tell us about Immense - an "AI-heavy fully European game engine" that complies with EU regulations. This is the most textbook vaporware energy I've seen since that crypto bro at GDC wouldn't shut up about how blockchain was going to revolutionize hitboxes.
The pitch is wild: AI-heavy, fully European, GDPR-compliant, built by Europeans for Europeans. What does any of that actually mean for a game engine? Nothing. It's a press release dressed up as a product. Brussee's "AI-heavy" claim is doing a lot of heavy lifting - at this point, "AI" might as well mean "magic" because nobody seems to have any concrete details. The crypto bro playbook is clear: strong opinions, weak grasp on actual applications, and an unshakeable belief that they've figured something out that nobody else has.
Here's what I know: actual engines ship. Unity ships. Unreal ships. Godot ships. They have docs, communities, and real features developers use every day. They don't need to lead with "AI-heavy" as if that's a selling point rather than a buzzword salad. But sure, let's get excited about another engine announcement that will either A) never ship, B) ship and be abandonware within 18 months, or C) actually be fine but nobody will care because we're all tired.
Corporate Optimism: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Let's talk about Christian Svensson, Sony's VP who's apparently "super optimistic" about gaming's future. This is the same Christian Svensson who, as head of Xbox's ID@Xbox program, was known for his relentless positivity about the industry. Now he's at Sony, and wouldn't you know it, the optimism has followed him like a loyal golden retriever.
"Demand is as strong as ever" - Christian Svensson, Sony VP, probably not reading the room
The timing is exquisite. We're in the middle of what can only be described as an industry-wide bloodbath - layoffs, studio closures, budgets spiraling into the stratosphere. But according to Svensson, the next several years of games are shaping up to be "even better" than 2025. Demand is apparently "as strong as ever." Meanwhile, the actual humans working in this industry are getting pink slips with cheerful "best of luck in your next chapter!" notes attached.
This is the corporate playbook. You squeeze every ounce of efficiency out of your workforce until the bones are dust, then you put on a suit and tell everyone how bullish you are about the future. The games will be better, they say. Just not better for the people making them, apparently.
And it's not just Sony playing this game. Sega just reported a $200 million impairment loss for Rovio and is now "lowering the priority" of games-as-a-service titles. That's corporate speak for "we bought a company for $700 million and it didn't work out, so we're pivoting to something else." The GaaS gold rush is officially over, and companies are scrambling to pretend they never believed in it anyway.
Oh, and MercurySteam just conducted layoffs - you know, the studio that made Metroid Dread, one of the best games of 2021. The statement they released was peak corporate HR speak: "While this is something common within the production cycles of our industry, it is nonetheless a difficult and painful situation." Translation: we're laying people off because that's what you do in this industry, but we feel bad about it, probably.
Actual Cool Stuff Happening (Ignore the Executives)
While the suits are busy being "optimistic" and announcing vaporware engines, actual artists are out here doing incredible work. There's a new course on creating anime-style 3D scenes in Blender, and it's exactly the kind of technical knowledge sharing that makes this industry worth being in. Someone sat down, figured out how to achieve that specific anime look with shaders and outlines, and then shared it with the world. No press releases. No "disruptive" announcements. Just a tutorial.
Similarly, Zaineb Aljumayaat created stylized hand-painted 3D models of the Artemis II spacecraft for NASA. Let that sink in. Someone made art for a real space mission, using techniques that made the objects appear volumetric through strategic shadow work and lighting. This is the kind of project that reminds you why people get into this industry - not for the "optimistic" press quotes, but for the actual craft of making something cool.
And then there's Brazil's growing game industry, which is genuinely exciting. ABRAGAMES representatives Patricia Sato and Rodrigo Terra are talking about the rise of original IPs, international partnerships, and regional development hubs. This is what actual industry growth looks like - not press releases about "AI-heavy" engines, but real studios in real places making real games with cultural identity. Brazil isn't waiting for some European savior to disrupt their industry. They're building it themselves.
What's Actually Coming
More layoffs. More "optimistic" executives giving interviews while signing termination letters. More vaporware announcements that will never ship. More companies pivoting away from strategies they swore by six months ago.
But also: more artists making cool stuff. More tutorials sharing knowledge. More regional industries growing outside the traditional power centers. The industry will keep churning through executives and trends, but the actual work - the Blender shaders, the NASA models, the Brazilian IPs - that will keep happening because that's what people in this industry actually do.
The machine keeps running. The people running it are interchangeable. The art is what matters.