Ubisoft just dropped something that might change how we think about in-game companions. It’s called Teammates, and it’s their latest dive into generative AI—but this time, you can actually play it. Forget about NPCs that stand around waiting for scripted moments to kick in. This experiment wants to turn your digital sidekicks into characters that actually respond to your voice in real time.
If you caught Ubisoft’s Neo NPC prototype at GDC 2024, think of Teammates as that concept’s more ambitious older sibling. The company is testing whether AI can make games feel more immersive by letting you talk to characters like you would to actual teammates, and early results suggest they might be onto something.
A dystopian mission that answers to your commands
The demo itself is a first-person shooter set in a grim future where you’re part of a resistance movement. Your mission? Infiltrate an enemy base and track down five missing allies. Sounds straightforward enough, except you’re not doing this alone. You’ve got two NPC companions—Sofía and Pablo—plus an AI voice assistant named Jaspar who’s basically your digital handler.
Here’s where things get interesting. Jaspar isn’t just there to bark objectives at you. According to Ubisoft, this AI can point out enemies, drop story details, tweak game settings on the fly, or even pause the action—all through natural voice commands. But it goes deeper than that. Jaspar reads the room (or battlefield, in this case), interprets what’s happening around you, and adjusts accordingly. It’s designed to feel less like a menu system and more like an actual character embedded in the story.
Sofía and Pablo work the same way. In one early sequence, you start without a weapon and have to direct your companions using only your voice—telling them when to take cover, where to position themselves, when to open fire. Your words literally shape the combat strategy as it unfolds. It’s the kind of gameplay moment that could either feel incredibly empowering or hilariously chaotic, depending on how well the AI interprets your panicked shouting.
Today we’re unveiling Teammates, an AI-driven research project exploring how new tech can deepen the player experience.
More than just talk, this brand-new experiment adds depth to gameplay by going beyond AI chatbots and turning NPCs into real teammates. Find out more:… pic.twitter.com/SyISwjJ5af
— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) November 21, 2025
The human touch behind the AI
Xavier Manzanares, Ubisoft’s director of Gameplay GenAI, mentioned that early prototypes showed players forming quick connections with both the AI-controlled NPCs and Jaspar. When players got lost, Jaspar would guide them back on track. When they needed information about the world or wanted to adjust settings, the assistant handled it seamlessly.
Virginie Mosser, another key voice on the project, emphasized something crucial: this technology isn’t about replacing human creativity. She still writes the stories and defines the personalities. What the AI does is create boundaries within which these characters can improvise without breaking the game’s lore. Think of it as giving NPCs the ability to riff within the rules rather than sticking to a rigid script. It’s collaboration between human design and machine responsiveness, and that distinction matters—especially given the ongoing conversations about AI’s role in creative industries.
Mosser admitted there were doubts at first, which is fair. Generative AI in games is still finding its footing, and not every experiment lands. But the approach here seems focused on enhancing player agency rather than automating the creative process entirely.
What comes next
Teammates has already been tested by hundreds of players in closed sessions, and Ubisoft plans to keep refining it. They’re framing this as an ongoing exploration driven by human creativity, experimentation, and curiosity—not a finished product ready to ship tomorrow.
Whether this becomes a standard feature in future Ubisoft titles or remains an interesting footnote in gaming history depends on how well it scales and how players ultimately respond. But one thing’s clear: the idea of NPCs that actually listen and adapt to what you say in the moment? That’s a compelling pitch. If Ubisoft can nail the execution, we might be looking at a genuine shift in how we interact with game worlds.
For now, Teammates is a glimpse at what’s possible when developers push beyond traditional NPC behavior. And honestly? It’s about time our digital companions started pulling their weight.