Dragon Quest X gets Google Gemini-powered AI companion despite fan backlash
6 Sources
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Square Enix announced a partnership with Google to integrate Gemini AI into Dragon Quest X, creating Chatty Slimey—a conversational AI companion designed to guide players. The Japan-exclusive MMORPG will test the AI chatbot feature, but fans have responded with strong criticism, questioning whether this addresses a real player need.
Square Enix Google Partnership Brings Gemini AI to Dragon Quest X
Square Enix has announced a collaboration with Google to introduce Google Gemini into Dragon Quest X, the Japan-exclusive MMORPG that launched in 2012
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. The Gemini AI integration will power a new feature called "Chatty Slimey" (also known as "Oshaberi Slimey"), an AI companion designed to interact with players through conversational AI2
. This marks another step in Square Enix's aggressive push toward implementing generative AI across its game development processes.
Source: Wccftech
The announcement came during a press event this past weekend, where Takashi Anzai, head of development for Dragon Quest X, explained the rationale behind the Slime NPC chatbot. According to Japanese publication Sankei, Anzai stated that "new players won't feel lonely wondering where to start playing; it will become their own personal companion"
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. This justification has raised eyebrows among the gaming community, particularly given that the game is an MMORPG populated with real players who typically welcome newcomers1
.How the Conversational AI Companion Functions
When players interact with Chatty Slimey using the chat function, the large language model automatically generates voices and engages in conversation
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. The generative AI chatbot analyzes information from the game screen in real-time, enabling it to initiate conversations when significant events occur, such as defeating a powerful enemy or obtaining a rare item1
. The system can provide hints, comment on boss fight victories, and even recognize outfit changes through AI-generated speech4
.
Source: GamesRadar
A beta test is planned for this feature, with applications for participants being accepted until March 30th
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. However, specific details about how Square Enix and Google plan to limit and guide what the AI can and cannot say remain uncertain1
.AI Chatbots in Gaming: A Troubling Track Record
Dragon Quest X isn't the first online game to experiment with AI chatbots in gaming. Where Winds Meet released with a world full of AI chatbot NPCs, leading to predictable abuse from some players
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. More notably, Fortnite introduced an AI-powered Darth Vader NPC that quickly devolved into players attempting to manipulate the character into saying inappropriate content, forcing Epic Games to patch the NPC1
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. These incidents highlight the challenges of implementing conversational AI in player interaction scenarios where earnest roleplay and real emotional attachments can complicate moderation efforts2
.Related Stories
Fan Backlash and the Living Games Concept
The announcement has triggered significant fan backlash from Dragon Quest enthusiasts. Social media reactions include comments like "We don't need AI slop!" and "hopefully i can kill slimey in game," with one popular comment receiving nearly 500 likes
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. Players have also criticized the timing, noting "Can't localize it but can put AI bullshit in it" in reference to the game never receiving a Western release4
.At the press briefing, Square Enix and Google Cloud shared their vision for "living games," defined as games where generative AI is crucial to all parts of production, including player-facing features
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. Google Cloud global director for games Jack Buser predicted that AI "will fundamentally change all games in the next three to five years"2
. The Slime NPC reportedly represents Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii's long-held dream to include an AI-powered friend in one of his games4
.Square Enix's Broader AI Strategy in Game Development
This initiative aligns with Square Enix's stated commitment to AI implementation across its operations. In 2024, the company announced it would be "aggressive in applying AI and other cutting-edge technologies" to its content, including games
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. By November 2025, Square Enix revealed plans to let generative AI tools handle 70% of its QA process by 20275
. This makes the Dragon Quest X feature the latest visible implementation of the company's AI strategy.
Source: Eurogamer
While Square Enix pursues this direction, other major publishers are taking different approaches. Capcom recently stated it "will not" use generative AI tools for in-game assets, though it will use the technology to "improve efficiency and productivity of game development" in areas like graphics, sound, and programming
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. The diverging strategies among major publishers suggest the industry remains divided on how—and whether—to integrate AI into player-facing features versus back-end development processes. Watch for how players respond during the beta test and whether other MMORPGs follow suit with similar NPC implementations.References
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