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AI to Be Introduced to Dragon Quest X; Square Enix Aims to Attract More Players with In-Game Assistant

Courtesy of Square Enix Co.
The interactive AI to be implemented in Dragon Quest

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, March 22, 2026

Interactive artificial intelligence will be implemented in the popular Japanese online game “Dragon Quest X,” Square Enix Co. announced on Saturday.

The AI will start off as a trial from late April, after which Square Enix will decide when to fully implement it.

On the game’s website, the company is asking participants to come forward to take part in a closed beta test from Saturday to March 30.

The interactive AI uses Google’s generative AI model Gemini. It is modeled after a Slime — a monster in the game — with a scarf wrapped around its head. The AI is supposed to support players who are just getting started in the game by answering their questions and chatting to them as an in-game assistant.

“Dragon Quest X,” which became available in 2012, is the first exclusively online title in the “Dragon Quest” series. Several hundred thousand people play the game every month, and the AI chat service is intended to attract new players.