Dragon Quest X gets Google Gemini-powered AI companion despite fan backlash

Google's Gemini will make its way into Dragon Quest X to power a "Chatty Slimey" AI companion, Square Enix has announced

If you're still recovering from last week's DLSS 5 nightmare and Crimson Desert's gen-AI fiasco, we're sorry to re-open old wounds by telling you that Square Enix has announced it's teaming up with Google to put Gemini AI into Dragon Quest X. The tenth mainline Dragon Quest is a Japan-exclusive MMORPG released in 2012 that never escaped the country despite its 2022 offline conversion, which probably explains why Square Enix will be conducting this experiment there and not inside a heavyweight champion like Final Fantasy 14. VGC shared the news on 23rd March, reporting on a press event which took place this past weekend. Japanese publication Sankei was able to speak to head of development Takashi Anzai, who pitched the "Chatty Slimey" companion as a way to make new players feel "less lonely" as they begin their journey, which is a baffling thing to say about an MMO that is populated with real-life players that, usually, are very keen to welcome new players into the fold. "When a player talks to Slimey using the chat function, it automatically generates voices and engages in conversation. The AI also analyses information from the game screen, and Slimey may even initiate conversations when a powerful enemy is defeated or a rare item is obtained," Sankei's report added. How Square Enix and the minds behind Gemini plan to limit and "guide" what the AI can and cannot say remains uncertain, and specific details regarding exactly how this will all work have yet to be shared. As pointed out by VGC, Dragon Quest X won't be the first online game trying to make use of AI chat bots. Last year, Where Winds Meet released with a world full of AI chatbot NPCs, so you can imagine how things went after some players abused them. Similarly, Darth Vader went wild on Fortnite last year before Epic Games had to patch the AI-powered NPC into something less IP-threatening.

That Dragon Quest MMO still isn't coming to the west, but it is getting a Gemini-powered AI slime companion

Chatty Slimey will introduce conversational AI to Dragon Quest X. MMOs sure can get lonely when you're grinding for loot and experience into the wee hours of the morning. Occasionally you'll run into a stranger and hit 'em with a /wave, or at least get ganked enough to break up the monotony -- but that's nothing compared to a real conversation, right? Well, if you happen to play the mostly Japan-exclusive MMO Dragon Quest X, you'll be able to get an even bleaker facsimile of real human interaction very soon. As reported by Japanese newspaper Sankei (and machine translated by Google Chrome), Square Enix is teaming up with Google to add a "conversational AI" companion called Chatty Slimey. "When a player talks to Slimey using the chat function, it automatically generates voices and engages in conversation," Sankei explained. "The AI also analyzes information from the game screen, and Slimey may even initiate conversations when a powerful enemy is defeated or a rare item is obtained. A beta test is planned, and applications for participants are being accepted until [March] 30th." The article includes a quote from DQX development lead Takashi Anzai, who said of Slimey, "new players won't feel lonely wondering where to start playing; it will become their own personal companion." Sankei also quoted Google Cloud global director for games Jack Buser's prediction that AI "will fundamentally change all games in the next three to five years." This isn't the first time an MMO has toyed around with AI chatbots. Wuxia RPG Where Winds Meet was full of 'em, and it didn't take players long to get extremely weird with their new AI buddies. While there are eager experiments with this technology happening all over the industry, AI chatbots have proven easy to manipulate in the past, and this all gets especially messy when you throw earnest roleplay and real emotional attachments into the mix. It's possible chatbots have improved since Darth Vader was saying slurs in Fortnite last year, but whether AI should even be in the room when discussing RPGs remains the subject of debate.

Dragon Quest 10 Is Getting A Google-Powered Chatbot Slime NPC

The company is partnering with Google to add a Gemini-powered Slime to the MMO Dragon Quest X, Square Enix’s MMORPG that started as a Wii game in 2012, is still getting updates in 2026. However, one of its incoming additions isn’t a bug fix or a new gameplay feature worth booting the game up for again; it’s essentially a chatbot with the series’ iconic blue Slime’s face on it. Square has announced it’s partnering with Google to add its AI large language model Gemini to Dragon Quest X, creating a Slime character players can chat with who will respond with AI-generated text. The idea is that this thing can be a player companion, offering tips, tricks, advice, and information on the world as you play. While an NPC chatbot might seem less objectionable than some games’ use of genAI art and voice acting, it still feels like a game developer forcing in a solution to a non-existent problem rather than using the technology for anything anyone actually wants.Â

Square Enix plans to add Google gen AI to Dragon Quest 10 so a chatbot called "Oshaberi Slimey" can call your outfit ugly in real time: "No thanks"

Square Enix has announced a Google collaboration to bring an original companion character named Oshaberi Slimey to its Japan-exclusive MMO Dragon Quest 10. Slimy is powered by the Gemini AI model, and some fans of the Dragon Quest games are already plotting to kill him. Anime News Network shares from Japanese news sources, including 4gamer, that, at a recent press briefing, Square Enix and Google Cloud shared their intentions to pursue "living games." The companies define the concept as games where generative AI is crucial to all parts of production - including in player-facing features like the chatbot Oshaberi Slimey. The slime represents Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii's old dream to include an AI-powered friend in one of his games, because he thinks things like, "It would be fun to investigate a murder case while interacting with AI." Meanwhile, Dragon Quest fans think things like, "We don't need AI slop!," as one Twitter reaction with nearly 500 likes says, or "hopefully i can kill slimey in game." "Can't localize it but can put AI bullshit in it," says another popular Twitter comment about Dragon Quest 10. In summary, "Japan can keep DQ10 after all I guess," as one would-be fan says. "No thanks." English-language Japanese news update account Genki explains in an original translation that Oshaberi Slimey will react to players on-screen information by doing things like providing hints, commenting on boss fight wins, or recognizing outfit changes using AI-generated speech. But all of those abilities only make Slimey more despicable to those disappointed by Square Enix's seemingly limitless commitment to AI. "The corporate love for AI needs to die," a Dragon Quest fan concludes. "Consumers don't want this rubbish polluting what we love."

Dragon Quest X is Getting a "Conversational AI" Companion, Chatty Slimey, Powered by Google's Gemini

Spotted by VGC, Square Enix's head of development, Takashi Anzai told Japanese publication Sankei that "new players won't feel lonely wondering where to start playing; it will become their own personal companion." Sankei added that "When a player talks to Slimey using the chat funciton, it automatically generates voices and engages in conversation. The AI also analyzes information from the game screen, and Slimey may even initiate conversations when a powerful enemy is defeated or a rare item is obtained." This is not the first time we've seen an AI-powered chatbot added to a game as an NPC. Where Winds Meet has plenty of chatbot NPCs that players can try talking to, and arguably the most famous (or infamous) version of this so far was the AI-powered Darth Vader added to Fortnite, which very quickly devolved into players trying to get Vader to say all kinds of unsavoury things in his iconic tone. It's not surprising to see Square Enix take on this kind of partnership. Back in 2024, the company said it would be "aggressive in applying AI and other cutting-edge technologies" to its content, including its games. In November 2025, the company also added that its push for GenAI in game development continued, with plans to let GenAI tools handle 70% of its QA process by 2027. Which makes this just the latest push from Square Enix to implement GenAI into game development, this time with its Japan-only MMO, Dragon Quest X. While Square Enix has been clear about how it intends to use GenAI tools in game development for a while now, other companies, like Capcom, are only recently making its stance clear. The company has stated it "will not" use GenAI tools for in-game assets, but will use the technology to "improve efficiency and productivity of game development," specifically in areas like graphics, sound, and programming.

Dragon Quest X is getting an AI character powered by Google Gemini

The use of AI in gaming continues to be a hotly debated topic. Most people probably realize that it's here to stay, but believe it should be used in ways that actually add value and improve efficiency, rather than taking over to the point where the finished products lack that human touch and come across as generic AI slop. However, the Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei now reports that Square Enix is preparing to implement Google's generative AI, Gemini, in the online role-playing game Dragon Quest X Online, where it will take the form of a "Chatty Slimey" controlled by AI. Nikkei writes (translated using Google Translate): "Gemini will appear as an interactive character capable of conversing with players. It will automatically generate responses to players by recognizing voice, text input, and the game screen." The idea is that this Slimey will be able to assist you in various ways, but only with matters related to Dragon Quest X, and there will be limits to what you can talk about: "In addition to participating in conversation-style interactions, Slimey also offers advice to help players progress through the game. The game does not respond to information or questions about the real world outside. Conversations with anyone other than your own friend will not be recorded or made public. AI controls have been implemented to prevent inappropriate responses. We are currently recruiting participants for the beta test (test version) until the 30th." Takashi Anzai, who is in charge of the development and operation of Dragon Quest X, says it will be like playing with others as you did as a child and believes it will benefit newcomers: