Ubisoft Unveils AI-Powered Gaming Prototype with Voice-Controlled Teammates

Ubisoft made a prototype game with voice-controlled AI teammates

Ubisoft has announced a new game prototype featuring voice-controlled AI teammates that understand visual context and natural language. This "Teammates" project builds on the Neo NPCs Ubisoft showed off with Nvidia in 2024 to demo in-game AI that can naturally respond to players. A key difference this time, besides the complexity of the interactions the prototype supports, is that Teammates is already being played in a closed playtest with "a few hundred players," Ubisoft says. Teammates, even if Ubisoft describes it as a playable "experimental research project," still uses the basic concepts of a first-person shooter. The prototype casts players as "a member of the resistance in a dystopian future, tasked with moving through an enemy base to locate five missing members of their team," where directing in-game AI characters is key to success. Ubisoft came up with three AI NPCs for the project, "Jaspar," an AI assistant with awareness of in-game lore and the ability to adjust game settings on the fly, and "Pablo" and "Sofia," robotic characters that are physically present in the game and can respond to commands. Based on footage shared with Engadget, Ubisoft's AI characters not only understand voice commands, but also have a visual awareness of what the player is seeing. A direction to "stand behind a barrel" prompted Sofia to take into consideration where the player was looking and position itself appropriately. In the version of Teammates available in the closed playtest, Ubisoft also uses Jaspar to onboard and teach players about the basics of the game. In most cases, the AI characters seemed overly chatty and verbose, but Ubisoft is experimenting with letting players choose sets of personalities for Sofia and Pablo -- including an option curiously labelled "Bad Cat and Good Boy" -- that can change up how each character expresses itself. "This technology opens doors to new, personalized experiences," Ubisoft's Data & AI Director Rémi Labory shared in the Teammates announcement. "Player input shapes character reactions in real time, something traditional development can't achieve. We're also delivering a full pipeline, with the experience taking players from onboarding to debrief, which is a first." Ubisoft has explored applying generative AI to other parts of the development process in the past. The company's Ghostwriter tool, introduced in 2023, uses AI to generate first drafts of in-game dialogue. Ubisoft also recently adimitted to publishing Anno 117: Pax Romana without removing its AI-generated loading screen art. Ultimately, the underlying technology powering Teammates could appear in other Ubisoft projects in the future. The company is collecting feedback from its playtest to apply towards future research, but Ubisoft suggests the middleware it created for Teammates already works with both its Snowdrop and Anvil engines, opening up the tool for future teams to use in their games.

Teammates: Ubisoft's AI experiment that could be gaming's biggest leap in

What's happened? Ubisoft has officially launched Teammates, a first-person-shooter-style R&D experiment built around generative AI companions and assistants. The prototype features an AI voice-assistant named Jaspar and two squad-mate NPCs, Pablo and Sofia, who respond to your commands and context in real time. According to the studio, the aim is not to replace human creativity, but to use AI to let players interact in new ways and shape their story through natural speech. Players can speak commands like "Sofia, flank that red truck," and the NPC responds accordingly based on the environment and mission context. Jaspar, the AI assistant, can access menu options, change settings, provide lore, assist in-game puzzles, or combat strategy, all by voice. Ubisoft emphasises that Teammates is a research prototype, as the tech may later be used across other games, but it's not yet a full studio release. The studio acknowledges concerns about AI in gaming (creators, storytelling, authenticity) and says guardrails and narrative designers remain central to the project. Why this is important: This experiment matters because it attempts to move beyond scripted NPCs and linear experiences toward truly interactive & dynamic companions, which is something rarely seen at scale in AAA games. If it succeeds, it could become a major evolution in how characters behave, how stories unfold, and how adaptive gameplay works. It opens the door for hugely personalised experiences, where your actions shape NPC reactions and story paths in real time. The voice-command system and real-time AI companions could improve accessibility and immersion, making games more inclusive and reactive. For developers, it reduces reliance on static dialogue trees and branching scripts, potentially lowering costs and increasing creative flexibility. Furthermore, on an industry level, it's a clear signal that generative AI is being intentionally integrated into core gameplay, and not just tools behind the scenes. As such, innovations like this might just shape the next decade of game design. Whether that's good news or not remains to be seen. Recommended Videos Why should I care? On the positive side, if you love games and innovation, this is exactly the kind of leap that can make you say "wow". Imagine calling out directions, telling your AI teammate to flank, or asking your assistant to change settings mid-mission without pausing. That kind of fluid interaction could make games more engaging, dynamic, and tailored to how you play, rather than how the script expects you to. For storytellers, explorers, and players tired of the same "push forward, kill ten" formula, it could feel like a fresh wind. But there's a more cautious side too. Ubisoft comes into this with prior controversies around AI misuse, NFT experiments, and the perception that it sometimes chases trends rather than defines them. If this tech becomes widely adopted without clear transparency and creative control, you risk characters that feel less crafted and more algorithmic. There's also concern that AI may supplant human writers, actors, or designers under the guise of innovation, which is something Ubisoft will need to manage carefully. Even if the promise is huge, the execution matters: bugs, weird responses, or shallow voice-assistant gimmicks could erode trust fast. Okay, so what's next? The big question is whether Ubisoft turns Teammates from a tech demo into a real game feature. We'll likely see more tests, developer updates, and maybe early integrations into future titles. What really matters is how players react once they try it. Do these AI companions feel helpful and natural, or do they come off as another experiment that doesn't stick? If the prototype proves reliable, this could shape how Ubisoft designs characters and gameplay for years. If not, it may remain an interesting but isolated experiment. For now, it's worth watching because it could influence the future of game storytelling, squad mechanics, and how players interact with NPCs.

Ubisoft Shows Off New AI-Powered FPS Demo

Teammates is a first-person shooter designed around AI-powered squad mates that the publisher sees as the future Despite the fact that many gamers seem to dislike or even outright hate AI-generated content in games, Ubisoft is pushing forward with it and now playtesting a shooter experiment built around AI-powered NPCs that can react to voice commands in real-time. Will it help the publisher regain some stability as it continues to struggle? I'm not sure. All I can think about is the last time Ubisoft jumped on a tech fad with NFTs. On November 21, after a delayed earnings call, Ubisoft revealed Teammates, which the company refers to as its "first playable generative AI research project." Built in the Snowdrop Engine, the same tech that powers games like The Division 2 and Star Wars Outlaws, Teammates is a first-person shooter that includes an AI assistant named Jaspar and two AI-powered squadmates called Pablo and Sofia. Players can command these two to help them solve puzzles or engage in combat using "natural" voice commands. Meanwhile, Jaspar can help track missions, offer advice, and provide guidance when needed. Teammates is built by the same team behind Ubisoft's Neo NPCs, which the company showed off in 2024 at GDC. The main goal of those AI-powered NPCs was to provide characters who can "dynamically" react to players in real-time, but within guidelines established by Ubisoft designers. The company said that it had guardrails in place to help stop the AI companions from hallucinating, being overly toxic, or going completely off script. But even Ubisoft admitted in an interview with Game Developer that Teammates and its tech were still rough around the edges. In interviews about Teammates, Ubisoft tries to make the case that this tech won't remove the human element from video game development. I find that hard to believe, considering that over the last two years or so, the studio has laid off over 600 employees as it cuts costs and struggles to ship games people get excited about. I'm not sure NPCs that sort of listen to you when you tell them to do something is going to turn things around for Ubisoft, but it could potentially let them gut even more of the company while pivoting to AI moonshots at a time when the company's future has never been more uncertain. “Games of tomorrow will listen, understand, and react to players far more than today, and our research gives a glimpse of what adaptive, generative play could add on top of proven game systems,†Ubisoft director of GenAI gameplay Xavier Manzanares told Variety. “It’s the first time we’ve shared an experiment this early with players, but our goal is to pave the way with a strong technology layer so our creators can start imagining the value it could bring to their project and players.†And who even knows if Ubisoft will still be developing AI-powered content and tools in a few years? Remember, it wasn't that long ago that Ubisoft was all in on NFTs and the metaverse. Sure, Ubisoft technically hasn't completely given up on either. But it's pretty clear now that the company is moving on to AI as the next big thing that it hopes can convince investors that it is on the cutting edge of the future and deserving of more money, please.

Ubisoft makes a big bet on "generative AI-driven gameplay" leading to "more interactive and engaging games," CEO says "this work reflects the direction we want to take"

If there was any remaining doubt about Ubisoft's stance on generative AI following CEO Yves Guillemot's recent comments, the company's new AI companion initiative, Teammates, should lay it out quite clearly. "This work reflects the direction we want to take in the years ahead," Guillemot says of the "generative AI-driven gameplay" pitch. Teammates, Ubisoft revealed today, is the evolved form of Project Neo NPC, which was shown off last year as a sort of upgraded NPC chatbot hybrid. The idea is to have in-game characters who are more responsive and dynamic, capable of acting in broad ways within defined parameters. "Teammates takes Ubisoft's exploration a step further, testing with players how generative AI-driven gameplay can shape a new generation of more interactive and engaging games," the company says. These AI companions are said to be capable of "adapting to players' strategies, moods and even personal slang, for an experience that feels unprecedentedly responsive," acting on "real-time voice commands" to "adapt their behavior to each situation, revealing distinct personalities along the way." Shoutout to 2012's Binary Domain, which also had voice-controlled NPCs. Project narrative director Virginie Mosser says, "Our role is to give AI meaning, to narrativise it, ensuring logic doesn't replace soul. We designed Teammates to leave space for player creativity, finding that balance between emotion and unpredictability." Giving meaning to AI, at a time where many executives and firms are pushing the technology but struggling to find meaningful (let alone profitable) applications for it, is just about the talk of the town. I'm reminded of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei artist who trained an AI model on his work, but concluded it wasn't worth using. Ubisoft points to a standout companion among the Teammates lineup: Jaspar, "a personal assistant designed to support players throughout their missions." If you saw the modern Iron Man films featuring AI partner Jarvis, then looked back on the days of Microsoft Clippy and thought to yourself, man, I wish this thing would follow me everywhere and tell me how to play a video game, have I got good news for you. "Jaspar recognizes the player by name, helps with onboarding, understands the game's lore, and can highlight threats or key objects in the environment," Ubisoft says. "He can remind players of mission objectives, suggest next steps, and generally act as a tactical guide when they are unsure what to do next." Images shared by Ubisoft reveal sample commands Jaspar is evidently meant to respond to, like, "Jaspar, who is the Wise Tower?" and "Jaspar, highlight this enemy!" Jaspar is also said to be capable of adjusting details like color and contrast. Other Teammates include Pablo and Sofia, who fittingly look like automaton soldiers. "Just like Jaspar, they can be commanded directly or chatted with, the only exception being that Sofia and Pablo physically inhabit the world," Ubisoft says in a blog post. In other screenshots, taken from a rough prototype first-person shooter used for internal testing, a prompt to "Hold [Right Bumper] Speak to Team" is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Pablo says, "I am a First-Generation cybernetic chassis, built to serve and protect." An unseen player says, "Let's go to check the black box" in an image captioned, "Check_the_Blackbox_with_comments." As these images enter my brain, all I can think about is how Ubisoft became the patron saint of flagrantly staged co-op dialogue during live multiplayer demos - awkward E3 lines like "Ha, nice, I got a Legendary" remain embedded in the RAM of my brain - and how cosmically fitting it is for it to be the company that's researched even that human element out of staged co-op entirely. "The goal the team hopes to achieve has players right at its heart," Ubisoft seems to counter. "We hope players will feel like they're shaping the story themselves, not just following it," Mosser says. "When I talk to [my AI squad mate] Sofia, she reacts to what I tell her and it changes my experience. For me, this is a real breakthrough and allows players to experience the story in their own way." This whole initiative is about going beyond chatbots, but the cynic in me can't help but compare this assessment to the way some people respond to chatbots 'answering' them. Mosser continues: "At first, I had the same concerns as many others. 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, but we still set the rules and direct the story and characters." In the same news blast, and in the same breath, Guillemot adds: "We are making exciting progress in building the tools of tomorrow for our teams. This work reflects the direction we want to take in the years ahead. Creativity remains deeply human. AI provides tools that help bring creative visions to life in new ways, it can be a powerful enabler to create even more meaningful and immersive experiences for players."