In brief
- Ubisoft showcased an experimental game called Teammates that is powered by generative AI.
- Players interact with an in-game AI assistant through voice commands, and dynamic dialogue is generated in real time.
- Many game developers have been vocally opposed to generative AI due to job fears and creative concerns.
Ubisoft, the gaming giant behind such franchises as Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance, has revealed its first playable game powered by generative AI, called Teammates.
Following Ubisoft’s Neo NPC experiment from last year, this project aims to deepen player immersion through natural speech interactions, using generative AI to power real-time voice commands that the company says makes for more dynamic gameplay.
Set in a dystopian future, players navigate a first-person shooter scenario as a resistance member searching for five missing teammates in an enemy base. The experimental level features three AI-powered characters: Jaspar, an AI voice assistant, and two NPC squad members, Sofia and Pablo.
Jaspar functions as more than a basic assistant—he can highlight enemies, provide lore details, adjust game settings, and pause gameplay through natural voice commands. Sofia and Pablo operate similarly but physically exist within the game world, taking orders and engaging in conversation with players.
Ubisoft says that the technology processes environmental information and contextual cues, adapting to player voice input and actions in real-time. An early scenario demonstrates this by requiring players to verbally direct their armed teammates to take cover and attack patrolling enemies before receiving their own weapon.
“Our early experiments showed players were quickly connecting with the AI-driven NPCs and the voice assistant concept,” said Director of Gameplay Xavier Manzanares, in a blog post. “Jaspar was helping players when they got lost or weren’t sure what to do, he could access menus and settings, tell players more about the world and the story. We really started to like Jaspar and saw how a system like this could be interesting for many different kinds of games.”
A screenshot from Ubisoft’s Teammates experimental game. Image: UbisoftAfter testing with hundreds of players in closed playtests, the team plans to refine the technology based on feedback. Their goal is to expand interaction possibilities and create richer storytelling experiences, all while maintaining human creativity and ingenuity at the core of game development.
Ubisoft’s announcement post directly addressed that last point, as the rapidly growing use of generative AI across gaming giants—with firms like EA and Krafton among those making big recent moves—has led to broad criticism from developers, who fear that generative AI will only accelerate industry layoffs and suck the human element out of game design.
“At first, I had the same concerns as many others,” said Narrative Director Virginie Mosser. “But I discovered that it’s the exact opposite of removing the human from the process. I still write the story and character personalities, but instead of fixed lines, we create these kinds of fences that let NPCs improvise within the world but stay within the boundaries of the lore and motivations we have given them.”
“They can improvise,” she added, “but we still set the rules and direct the story and characters.”
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Source: https://decrypt.co/349865/assassins-creed-maker-ubisoft-unveils-game-powered-generative-ai
