Politics

Ubisoft’s experimental AI game transforms player interaction with generative NPCs

Monday, 24 November 2025 9:33PM UTC

Ubisoft unveils Teammates, a pioneering first-person shooter leveraging generative AI to create immersive, voice-controlled NPCs, signalling a potential paradigm shift in interactive storytelling.

Ubisoft, the renowned gaming company behind major franchises such as Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance, has unveiled an experimental game titled Teammates, which is powered by generative AI technology. This first-person shooter, set in a dystopian future, allows players to interact with AI characters through natural voice commands, driving a more immersive and dynamic gameplay experience. The project follows last year’s Neo NPC experiment and aims to explore how generative AI can transform player interaction by making non-player characters (NPCs) feel like genuine teammates rather than scripted entities.

In Teammates, players navigate a tense mission to find five missing teammates inside an enemy base, assisted by three AI-powered characters: Jaspar, an AI voice assistant capable of highlighting enemies, giving lore information, adjusting game settings, and pausing the game, alongside two squadmates, Sofia and Pablo, who respond to voice commands and engage with players within the game environment. Ubisoft explains that the AI assimilates contextual and environmental information in real time, adapting its responses based on both the player’s voice input and gameplay actions. For instance, players can verbally instruct Sofia and Pablo to take cover and attack patrolling enemies before securing their own weapons.

According to Ubisoft’s Director of Gameplay, Xavier Manzanares, early testing demonstrated that players quickly formed connections with these AI-driven NPCs and the voice assistant concept. “Jaspar was helping players when they got lost or weren’t sure what to do,” he said in a blog post, highlighting the AI assistant’s ability to assist players beyond simple commands, enriching both gameplay and storytelling. The company has engaged in closed playtests with hundreds of players and is aiming to refine the technology further, with ambitions to expand interaction possibilities and offer deeper narrative experiences.

Despite growing concerns in the game development community about generative AI leading to job losses and diminishing the human touch in game design, Ubisoft maintains a stance that AI will augment rather than replace human creativity. Narrative Director Virginie Mosser articulated this perspective, stating that while she was initially apprehensive, she now views AI as an enabler rather than a detractor from creative work. “I still write the story and character personalities,” she said, “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.” This approach allows NPCs to improvise while respecting the crafted narrative and character arcs, preserving human storytelling at the core.

Industry comparisons have underlined Ubisoft’s move as potentially revolutionary within the gaming space. CEO Yves Guillemot likened the impact of generative AI to the advent of 3D graphics in gaming history, signalling a paradigm shift in how players engage with virtual worlds. Ubisoft’s Teammates initiative is part of a broader industry trend where companies like EA and Krafton are also integrating generative AI, albeit amidst some controversy. While Ubisoft’s project emphasises enhancing immersion and player agency, other studios face pushback over ethical concerns and fear of automation. For example, Embark Studios recently attracted debate over its use of AI, particularly text-to-speech systems which raise questions around the boundary between machine learning and generative AI, increasing apprehensions about job security and creative integrity in gaming.

Adding another layer to the conversation, Ubisoft recently faced criticism over the use of AI-generated art in its upcoming title Anno 117: Pax Romana. Fans noticed distorted background characters in promotional images, prompting Ubisoft to admit the images were placeholder assets created with generative AI tools. The company has promised corrective updates but has not quelled the scepticism among its community, illustrating the delicate balance firms must strike as they incorporate AI technologies.

Ubisoft’s Teammates represents a deliberate and experimental approach to integrating generative AI in games, focusing on creating richer, more responsive worlds without sidelining human creativity. By allowing players to interact through natural speech and enabling NPCs to improvise within narrative parameters, Ubisoft is exploring new frontiers in game design that may shape the future of interactive storytelling.

📌 Reference Map:

^[1] (Decrypt) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
^[2] (Ubisoft News) - Paragraph 2, 3
^[3] (Gamespot) - Paragraph 3, 6
^[4] (Digital Trends) - Paragraphs 2, 6
^[5] (Engadget) - Paragraph 2, 3
^[6] (PC Gamer - Embark Studios) - Paragraph 7
^[7] (PC Gamer - Anno 117) - Paragraph 8

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://decrypt.co/349865/assassins-creed-maker-ubisoft-unveils-game-powered-generative-ai - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/3mWlITIuWuu0MoVuR6o8ps/ubisoft-reveals-teammates-an-ai-experiment-to-change-the-game - Ubisoft has unveiled 'Teammates', an experimental game powered by generative AI. In this first-person shooter set in a dystopian future, players interact with an AI assistant named Jaspar and two NPC squad members, Sofia and Pablo, through natural voice commands. The AI processes environmental information and adapts to player input in real-time, enhancing immersion and dynamic gameplay. This initiative aims to explore how generative AI can deepen player experiences while maintaining human creativity in game development.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-shows-off-generative-ai-game-demo-called-teammates/1100-6536444/ - Ubisoft has showcased 'Teammates', a new R&D game experience that utilises generative AI. The prototype features an AI voice assistant named Jaspar and two squad-mate NPCs, Pablo and Sofia, who respond to player commands and context in real-time. The game aims to experiment with new ways of creating interactive stories, allowing players to shape their experience through natural speech. CEO Yves Guillemot described generative AI as a revolution for the gaming industry, comparable to the shift to 3D graphics.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/why-ubisofts-teammates-could-be-gamings-biggest-ai-leap-since-well-ever/ - 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 player 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.
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-made-a-prototype-game-with-voice-controlled-ai-teammates-200834163.html/ - Ubisoft has developed a prototype game featuring voice-controlled AI teammates. In this first-person shooter set in a dystopian future, players navigate an enemy base to locate missing team members, directing AI characters through voice commands. The AI companions, Jaspar, Pablo, and Sofia, understand natural speech and can perform tasks such as highlighting enemies, providing lore, adjusting game settings, and pausing the game. The project aims to explore how generative AI can enhance player immersion and interaction.
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/arc-raiders-use-of-ai-highlights-the-tension-and-confusion-over-where-machine-learning-ends-and-generative-ai-begins/ - Embark Studios' new game, 'Arc Raiders', has reignited discussions around the use of AI in game development. While the studio asserts that no generative AI was used in the final gameplay experience, ambiguity persists around the technologies applied during development. The controversy hinges particularly on their use of text-to-speech (TTS) systems, which rely on voice actors' recordings to synthesise game dialogue. Critics point out that this still constitutes a form of generative AI, raising concerns about job displacement and reduced creative input.
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/ubisoft-touches-up-ai-art-placeholder-that-slipped-into-anno-117-but-fans-are-not-happy-it-was-there-to-begin-with-of-all-the-video-games-not-anno/ - Ubisoft recently faced criticism for including AI-generated artwork in its upcoming game, 'Anno 117: Pax Romana'. Observant fans noticed unsettling, low-quality background characters—such as figures with malformed hands and even one missing a head—in promotional images, indicating the use of generative AI. Ubisoft later admitted the image was a 'placeholder asset' that slipped through review and promised to replace it in the next patch. Despite a touched-up version now being available, many fans remain disappointed and sceptical about the extent of AI usage in the game.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative is fresh, with the earliest known publication date being November 21, 2025. No evidence of recycled content or republishing across low-quality sites was found. The report is based on a press release from Ubisoft, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were identified. The content has not appeared more than 7 days earlier. The inclusion of updated data without recycling older material further supports its freshness.

Quotes check

Score: 10

Notes: The direct quotes from Ubisoft's Director of Gameplay, Xavier Manzanares, and Narrative Director Virginie Mosser are unique to this report. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating potentially original or exclusive content. No variations in quote wording were found.

Source reliability

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative originates from reputable organisations: Decrypt and Ubisoft News. Both are established and credible sources, enhancing the reliability of the information presented.

Plausability check

Score: 10

Notes: The claims about Ubisoft's 'Teammates' initiative align with recent industry trends and are corroborated by multiple reputable outlets. The narrative includes specific factual anchors, such as names, institutions, and dates, supporting its plausibility. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic, and the structure is focused and relevant. The tone is professional and typical of corporate communications, with no signs of excessive drama or vagueness.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative passes all checks with high scores, indicating it is fresh, original, and sourced from reliable outlets. The claims are plausible and well-supported, with no signs of disinformation or credibility issues.

Gaming
Artificial intelligence
Game development