Nvidia’s AI NPCs are Your New PUBG Teammate

Nvidia’s AI-Powered “ACE” Characters Take a Major Leap Forward

Nvidia has spent the last two years showcasing its digital “ACE” characters, which can engage in in-game conversations with players using generative AI. At CES 2025, the company is taking the ACE characters to the next level by introducing them as “autonomous game characters” that can be a teammate to help you win in PUBG, among other games.

Autonomous Game Characters

Nvidia says that ACE characters can use AI to “perceive, plan, and act like human players,” per a blog post. “Powered by generative AI, ACE will enable living, dynamic game worlds with companions that comprehend and support player goals, and enemies that adapt dynamically to player tactics.” The characters are powered by “small language models (SLMs)” that are “capable of planning at human-like frequencies required for realistic decision making” as well as “multi-modal SLMs for vision and audio that allow AI characters to hear audio cues and perceive their environment.”

PUBG Ally

As for how that will work in PUBG, you’ll be able to team up with the “PUBG Ally,” which Nvidia and PUBG publisher Krafton are calling the “world’s first Co-Playable Character (CPC).” The Ally will be able to “communicate using game-specific lingo, provide real-time strategic recommendations, find and share loot, drive vehicles, and fight other human players using the game’s extensive arsenal of weapons,” Nvidia says.

Naraka: Bladepoint and Other Games

AI characters built with ACE are coming to other games, too. Naraka: Bladepoint Mobile PC Version will get a “a local inference AI Teammate feature” in March 2025, while Naraka: Bladepoint on PC will get the feature “later in 2025,” according to Nvidia’s blog post. “AI Teammates powered by NVIDIA ACE can join your party, battling alongside you, finding you specific items that you need, swapping gear, offering suggestions on skills to unlock, and making plays that’ll help you achieve victory.”

Other Games

Krafton’s upcoming life simulation game called inZOI will also get CPCs called “Smart Zoi.” And Nvidia says that ACE characters can be bosses, too, and they’ll be used for boss encounters in Wemade Next’s MIR5.

Conclusion

Nvidia’s AI-powered ACE characters are taking a major leap forward, promising to revolutionize the gaming experience with autonomous game characters that can think and act like human players. With the introduction of the PUBG Ally and AI Teammates in other games, it’s exciting to see where this technology will take us.

FAQs

Q: What is the purpose of the PUBG Ally?
A: The PUBG Ally is a Co-Playable Character (CPC) that can communicate with players using game-specific lingo, provide real-time strategic recommendations, and fight alongside players in the game.

Q: What games will feature AI Teammates powered by NVIDIA ACE?
A: Naraka: Bladepoint Mobile PC Version and Naraka: Bladepoint on PC will feature AI Teammates powered by NVIDIA ACE, with Naraka: Bladepoint Mobile PC Version getting the feature in March 2025 and Naraka: Bladepoint on PC getting it later in 2025.

Q: What is inZOI and MIR5?
A: inZOI is an upcoming life simulation game by Krafton, and MIR5 is an upcoming game by Wemade Next. Both games will feature Co-Playable Characters (CPCs) powered by NVIDIA ACE.

Q: Will the AI characters be limited to specific games?
A: While the initial announcements focus on PUBG, Naraka: Bladepoint, inZOI, and MIR5, it’s likely that the technology will be expanded to other games in the future.