Nvidia Updates ACE Technology for Creation of AI-powered Teammates and NPCs

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025, Nvidia presented the technology it claims is going to “redefine NPCs” with its updated suite of RTX-accelerated digital human tech that “brings game characters to life” with generative AI.

The new technology of Nvidia’s ACE autonomous game characters promises to transform non-playable characters (NPCs) into fully autonomous, humanlike units capable of perceiving, planning, and adapting dynamically to their environments.

Since its introduction in 2023, Nvidia ACE has evolved to leverage generative AI for the creation of intelligent characters that can go beyond scripted interactions. Powered by advanced small language models (SLMs), these characters can analyze their surroundings, make humanlike decisions, and seamlessly interact with players, creating immersive and dynamic gameplay experiences.

Nvidia’s ACE suite includes specialized models for perception, cognition, action, and memory. These models enable characters to understand audio and visual cues, strategize using real-time game data, and adapt their behavior based on player actions.

• Perception Models: Translate audio and visual data into actionable insights for NPCs.
• Cognition Models: Simulate humanlike decision-making with SLMs optimized for gaming environments.
• Action Models: Execute decisions through game-specific actions, voice interactions, or strategic planning.
• Memory Models: Store and recall past interactions, allowing NPCs to evolve over time.

ACE technology is coming into action in 2025, starting with a battle royale video game, PUBG, published by Krafton, developed by Krafton’s PUBG Studios and sold over 75 million copies worldwide. Nvidia’s ACE is introducing “PUBG Ally,” an AI-powered teammate built with ACE technology. PUBG Ally can follow orders, gather loot, and provide tactical advice, all while communicating with players using game-specific lingo. Kangwook Lee, Head of the Deep Learning Division at Krafton, remarked, “ACE autonomous game characters are unlocking new and unique experiences, enhancing the way we create games.”

In March 2025, Battle Royal Naraka: Bladepoint, developed by 24 Entertainment with NetEase Battle Royal as publisher, will feature AI teammates powered by ACE both on PC and mobile versions of the game. These types of teammates will be able to assist with combat strategies, item collection, and skill recommendations. “Nvidia enables developers to push past expected boundaries with AI technology,” said Zhipeng Hu, Senior Vice President at NetEase.

The upcoming new part of the franchise Legend of Mir, MIR5, by Wemade Next, is about to introduce adaptive AI bosses that learn from player behavior, ensuring no two encounters are the same. Jung Soo Park, CEO of Wemade Next, described this innovation as a “milestone moment in gaming.”

The other title upcoming with integrated ACE is a life simulator inZOI by Krafton. Nvidia’s ACE will create autonomous community members, enabling dynamic social interactions in the game. Players will be able to witness NPCs pursuing life goals, reacting to events, and contributing to emergent narratives.

Nvidia ACE is also trying to bring new experiences to the detective genre in a murder mystery game, Dead Meat, by Meaning Machine. There will be a mechanic of suspect interrogation in this title, and the NPC’s responses are about to be generated in real-time, creating multiple possibilities for dialogue.

Meanwhile, AI People, a sandbox game from GoodAI, offers an experience where AI-driven characters autonomously interact with each other and their environment, producing unique storylines with every playthrough.

TiGames, famous for their 2021 F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch, has now unveiled ZooPunk, a tech demo of their future project. Built with Nvidia ACE, Audio2Face, and the first use of on-device in-game Stable Diffusion image generation, TiGames’ AI tech demo shows a promise of new-level conversations and interactions with NPCs.