Ubisoft Unveils 'Teammates': Revolutionary AI-Powered Gaming Experience with Voice-Controlled NPCs

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.

'Assassin's Creed' Maker Ubisoft Unveils Game Powered by Generative AI - Decrypt

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." After 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."

Ubisoft announces AI "experiment" Teammates - a playable research project that's "more than just talk"

Ubisoft has announced "Teammates", an "AI experiment to change the game" and "deepen the player experience". The developer/publisher said the project is "more than just talk" and will add "depth to gameplay by going beyond AI chatbots and turning NPCs into real teammates" as you play a first-person shooter. The reveal comes after Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told investors yesterday that generative AI has been integrated across the entire company, calling it a "revolution" for video games as big as the shift from 2D to 3D. "First and foremost, Teammates is an experimental research project, albeit a playable one," Ubisoft explained. "Built around the mechanics of a first-person shooter, players take on the role of a member of the resistance in a dystopian future, tasked with moving through an enemy base to locate five missing members of their team. "In the short playable level, players must recover the final memories of those who were sent in previously to discover their fates, while fending off squads of enemies along their path. Besides the AI voice assistant - Jaspar - the player is accompanied by two NPC squad members - Pablo and Sofia - also featuring the new advanced capabilities." AI assistant Jaspar can highlight enemies or objects, provide story and lore details, alter game settings "on the fly", or even pause the game, all through simple and natural vocal instructions. "But more than this, he is a dynamic and responsive character within the story," the company added. "The underlying systems can process the information available within the Teammates experiment's environment, and contextual cues, interpreting and adapting to the player's vocal input and actions." You can also directly command - or "chat with" - your NPC teammates, Sofia and Pablo. "Our early experiments showed players were quickly connecting with the AI-driven NPCs and the voice assistant concept," director of gameplay GenAI Xavier Manzanares added. "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." "This technology opens doors to new, personalised experiences," added data & AI director Rémi Labory. "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." The team said it was "aware of the criticisms around AI in games", but insisted the goal "is not to replace creatives, but rather to find ways to enhance it by combining the strengths of the technology and the human creativity and ingenuity that are crucial to making games". "At first, I had the same concerns as many others," explained 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, but we still set the rules and direct the story and characters." Ubisoft finished by saying that "Teammates" has already been shared with a few hundred players in a closed playtest. It will continue to test and develop the technology, "building the tools and gathering vital reactions and suggestions from real players and creative teams within Ubisoft to refine and expand the systems they have built, all with a philosophy of human creativity, ingenuity, and curiosity at the heart of their work". This news follows the cessation of trading for Ubisoft, which sent the entire industry into mass speculation. Ubisoft later confirmed that this was due to an issue with new auditors, despite broad speculation of a grander acquisition.

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."

Ubisoft unveils Teammates, its first playable generative AI project

Ubisoft is going through one of the most volatile periods in its history. After a financial crisis that almost wiped it off the map and a subsequent restructuring of all its assets into several subsidiaries, thanks to the agreement signed with Chinese giant Tencent, it has now announced its next steps by exploring the future of gaming. A future in which the company is exploring development through generative AI. In fact, this isn't Ubisoft's first project to make use of the technology. Last year it presented a prototype called Neo NPC, which featured cognitive and language skills designed to create characters, but their environment remained static. From Neo NPC they took the model and have expanded it into a first-person shooter experience in a "playable" state. Teammates, as it is now called, is "a first-person shooter, with new advanced AI features that allow them to respond dynamically to voice commands in real time, adapting their behaviour to each situation and displaying distinct personalities in doing so". Or in other words, a game in which you can actually command an entire team under your command. In fact, the press release states that Ubisoft's proprietary technology with which they developed Teammates is also capable of interpreting the intent and tone of voice of human players. "It's about experimenting with completely new ways of creating interactive stories," said Virginie Mosser, Narrative Director of the project at Ubisoft. "Our role is to give the AI meaning, narrative, making sure that logic doesn't replace the soul. We have designed Teammates to leave room for players' creativity, striking a balance between emotion and unpredictability. For now, the Teammates prototype can only be played by a limited number of participants in a closed beta, who will give feedback on how these systems operate in real game scenarios. Do you think Teammates could be the next step in the game development industry, and how do you see Ubisoft positioning itself in that future?

Ubisoft Reveals 'Teammates' Playable GenAI Experience as Its CEO Says GenAI Will Transform the Industry Like 3D

Ubisoft has unveiled Teammates, a short playable experience powered by generative AI. It was developed by the team behind 2024's Neo NPC demo, which was recently honored under the France 2030 program for advancing French innovation. In the initial prototype from 2024, Neo NPCs demonstrated novel cognitive and natural language abilities, but they were still confined to a static environment. In Teammates, Non-Playable Characters (NPCs) are placed in a traditional first-person shooter setting and are equipped with advanced AI features. This allows them to respond dynamically to real-time voice commands, adapt their behaviour to each situation, and reveal their distinct personalities. From mission briefings to battlefield commands, they react naturally, adapting to players' strategies, moods, and even personal slang. Ubisoft states that NPCs can interpret player intent and tone, as well as environmental cues, generating fluid, context-aware reactions that enhance immersion and player agency. Virginie Mosser, Narrative Director on the project at Ubisoft, said in a statement: It's really about experimenting with entirely new ways of creating interactive stories. 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. Ubisoft also showed a new in-game companion called Jaspar, a personal assistant designed to support players throughout their missions. Jaspar recognises players by name, assists with onboarding and understands the game's lore. He can also highlight threats or key objects in the environment, remind players of their mission objectives, suggest next steps, and act as a tactical guide when they are unsure what to do. The companion even has the ability to manage HUD elements, open menus, and adjust settings. The Teammates experiment serves both as a playable prototype and a testbed for the underlying technology. Xavier Manzanares, Director of Gameplay GenAI at Ubisoft, explained: 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. 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. The team has also built an API that abstracts the complexity of generative systems, embeds necessary guardrails, including hallucinations, bias, toxicity, among others, and helps control its power to put it at the service of human creativity and play. In the press releases accompanying Teammates, Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot stated that creativity will remain 'deeply human', with AI tools only helping to bring creative visions to life in new ways. But in the quarterly earnings call, Guillemot added: We are making great strides in applying GenAI to high-value use cases, delivering tangible benefits to our players and teams. It's as big a revolution for our industry as the shift to 3D, and we have everything to lead on this front. It's probably going to be a while before we see this technology applied to actual games. However, Teammates has already been shared with a few hundred players in a closed playtest. The team behind the experience will continue to test, build tools, and gather feedback and suggestions from real players and creative teams within Ubisoft to refine and expand these systems. An explainer video is also coming soon for those who'd like to see it in action.

Ubisoft says AI Teammates will make gaming more engaging and accessible, but will players want them?

A prototype game introduces the developer's first playable AI experience. The use of AI in game development is hugely controversial, but Ubisoft is ploughing ahead with its experiments in player-facing generative AI. A new short playable experience in closed testing with gamers aims to explore how adaptive generative AI-driven gameplay and responsive characters can shape a new generation of more interactive games. Last year's initial prototype Neo NPC already displayed cognitive and natural language abilities, but the non-playable characters remained in a static environment. Now the same team has developed Teammates, which puts AI-driven NPCs in the more traditional gameplay setting of a first-person shooter where they can respond dynamically to real-time voice commands and adapt their behaviour to different situations, revealing distinct personalities as they do so. Ubisoft says Teammates react naturally in various situations. From mission briefings to battlefield commands, they should adapt to players' strategies, moods and even personal slang. The idea is that they can interpret player intent and tone, as well as environmental cues, to generate fluid, context-aware reactions. "It's really about experimenting with entirely new ways of creating interactive stories," said Virginie Mosser, Narrative Director on the project at Ubisoft. "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." Alongside Teammates, Ubisoft has introduced a new in-game personal assistant called Jaspar. Designed to support players through their missions, he recognises the player by name, helps with onboarding, understands the game's lore and can highlight threats or key objects in the environment. The AI companion can also remind players of mission objectives, suggest next steps, and generally act as a tactical guide, Ubisoft says. Jaspar can manage HUD elements, open menus and control settings, adjusting the player interface on the fly, adapting for colour blindness or modifying visual elements. Ubisoft reckons there's potential for this agentic AI to improve accessibility and personalisation in future games. "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," said Xavier Manzanares, Director of Gameplay GenAI. "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." The prototype is currently playable for a limited number of participants in a closed playtest. This will be used to get feedback on how the systems operate in live gameplay scenarios. And should also provide insights into how players react, and if they welcome the AI-driven NPCs. That may depend on how fluid the interaction really is. You can find more information on the Ubisoft Teammates wesbite. If you need to upgrade your setup for making games, see our pick of the best laptops for game development.