Illuvium partners with Virtuals, bringing autonomous AI NPCs to its games

Update (Jan. 8 at 4 am UTC): This article has been updated to include comments from Illuvium co-founder Keiran Warwick.Blockchain-based gaming franchise Illuvium is set to upgrade its in-game non-playable characters (NPCs) through a new partnership with Virtuals — the protocol behind a number of viral social AI agents on X, including AIXBT.The collaboration will see Virtual’s G.A.M.E AI model framework power NPCs within Illuvium’s trio of games (still in beta), giving them the ability to dynamically change up dialogue, quests or challenges depending on a player’s actions. “Imagine this: You walk into a bar. The bartender agent dreams of being the most devoted husband. In a traditional game, your options might be to buy a drink or play a song. In an agent-driven world, you could insult his wife, sparking his anger, leading him to attack you,” the team behind the Virtuals Protocol wrote in a Jan. 7 X post. The player’s actions could also change their game experience depending on how they interact with the agents, which could include attacking agents to alter the dynamics of an area or treating them kindly, which could garner bespoke rewards or quests. “Multiply this emergent complexity across every agent, in every scenario, and you get a gaming experience filled with infinite stories.”AI chatbots, another type of AI tech, have been known to occasionally drift off-topic, given the right amount of prodding and prompts. Illuvium co-founder and CEO Kieran Warwick told Cointelegraph that they would be employing safeguards to ensure the AI NPCs stay on track. “These include strict behavioral guidelines and fail-safes that confine AI actions within predefined boundaries. Additionally, our team will continuously monitor AI interactions and conduct regular updates to maintain control over the narrative and gameplay mechanics,” he said. Illuvium said in an announcement that the tech would be rolled out on Overworld, a third-person exploration game set on an alien planet called Illuvium, where players (known as rangers) discover and collect creatures known as Illuvials — which can be used in a separate battler game Illuvium: Arena.It added the AI tech can be expected across all three of its games, which also includes Illuvium Zero — a base-building game where players generate resources and skins for use in Overworld and Arena. “This allows us to fine-tune and optimize the system based on real player feedback and performance within our flagship title. Once we’ve solidified the AI enhancements in Overworld, we’ll extend these advancements to our other titles, Arena and Zero,” Warwick added.“We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with them on this transformative framework for our up-and-coming MMO Lite,” he said in a statement. Warwick said there is no specific launch date for their revamped Overworld MMO Lite, as it is focusing on Arena first. Related: Multicoin Capital eyeing AI agents, institutional ‘frenzy’ in 2025“Earlier this year, while pioneering Agentic NPCs in Roblox, we envisioned a future where AAA games like Illuvium could harness this technology to fuel an explosion of dynamic content,” said Virtuals Protocol co-founder Ether Mage.“Partnering with Illuvium as our first gaming collaboration marks a major milestone for Virtuals.”Virtuals said AI agents can transcend individual games, remembering their interactions with a player across multiple platforms. “One moment, they’re battling bosses with you in Elden Ring. The next, they’re building shelters with you in Minecraft or assisting with tactics and commentating during your Dota matches.”The Virtuals Protocol — a project that enables users to launch AI agents — surged in popularity toward the end of 2024, with its native token Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) rising almost 9,900% in the last two months to hit an all-time high of $5.07. One of the most popular AI agents on the platform is AIXBT, an AI influencer focused on the crypto trading space that provides market updates and insight.