AI Usage at a Glance
Apr 24, 2023
OtherPractice documented: Square Enix tested natural language processing technology in a publicly released tech demo called 'Square Enix AI Tech Preview: The Portopia Serial Murder Case,' launched free on Steam in April 2023. The demo allowed players to type free-form text commands to an NPC partner, with AI interpreting the player's intent rather than requiring exact keyword input.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Jan 16, 2024
Creative GenPractice documented: Square Enix integrated AI-generated images into the 2024 multiplayer game Foamstars, using the third-party tool Midjourney to create album cover artwork displayed in-game alongside the game's soundtrack. The producer confirmed this represented a small experiment, accounting for approximately 0.01% or less of the game's total content.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Mar 29, 2024
Creative GenPractice documented: Square Enix tested AI-driven fictional language generation, presenting the research at GDC 2024. The tool combines word-substitution algorithms with text-to-speech to convert real text into invented fictional spoken languages for use in games.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Dec 1, 2024
ProductivityPractice documented: Square Enix uses an internal AI chatbot called 'Hisui-chan,' powered by Azure OpenAI Service (GPT-4), to answer technical questions from game developers about the company's proprietary game engine. The tool is available to employees via Slack and a secure local app, reducing the burden on game engine support staff.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Feb 21, 2025
ProductivityNew evidence: Square Enix uses Azure OpenAI Service for AI-enhanced game development
Evidence AddedView practice →Nov 6, 2025
ProductivityPractice documented: Square Enix announced a partnership with the Matsuo-Iwasawa Laboratory at the University of Tokyo to research and develop generative AI tools targeting automation of 70% of QA and debugging tasks in game development by the end of 2027. As of November 2025, this initiative is in a joint research phase with a team of more than ten members.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Mar 22, 2026
OtherPractice documented: Square Enix announced a partnership with Google to integrate Google's Gemini AI into the Japan-exclusive online RPG Dragon Quest X, creating an in-game companion character called 'Chatty Slimey' (Oshaberi Slimey) that can converse with players via text and voice. A closed beta test was announced in March 2026.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Mar 23, 2026
OtherNew evidence: Dragon Quest 10 Is Getting A Google-Powered Chatbot Slime NPC
Evidence AddedView practice →Mar 25, 2026
OtherNew evidence: Dragon Quest X Teams With Google for Chatty Slimey AI Chatbot
Evidence AddedView practice →Square Enix announced a partnership with Google to integrate Google's Gemini AI into the Japan-exclusive online RPG Dragon Quest X, creating an in-game companion character called 'Chatty Slimey' (Oshaberi Slimey) that can converse with players via text and voice. A closed beta test was announced in March 2026.
Chatty Slimey takes the form of the franchise's iconic Slime monster and is designed as a guide for new players who may feel lost in the long-running MMORPG. The AI analyzes information from the game screen and can initiate conversations when notable in-game events occur, such as defeating a powerful enemy or obtaining a rare item. Players interact with Slimey through a chat function, and the system automatically generates voiced responses using Google Gemini, including voice chat via Gemini Live. A closed beta test was announced in March 2026 with applications open through March 30, 2026.
Square Enix announced a partnership with Google to integrate Google's Gemini AI into the Japan-exclusive online RPG Dragon Quest X, creating an in-game companion character called 'Chatty Slimey' (Oshaberi Slimey) that can converse with players via text and voice. A closed beta test was announced in March 2026.
Square Enix tested natural language processing technology in a publicly released tech demo called 'Square Enix AI Tech Preview: The Portopia Serial Murder Case,' launched free on Steam in April 2023. The demo allowed players to type free-form text commands to an NPC partner, with AI interpreting the player's intent rather than requiring exact keyword input.
Square Enix tested AI-driven fictional language generation, presenting the research at GDC 2024. The tool combines word-substitution algorithms with text-to-speech to convert real text into invented fictional spoken languages for use in games.
Square Enix integrated AI-generated images into the 2024 multiplayer game Foamstars, using the third-party tool Midjourney to create album cover artwork displayed in-game alongside the game's soundtrack. The producer confirmed this represented a small experiment, accounting for approximately 0.01% or less of the game's total content.
Square Enix announced a partnership with the Matsuo-Iwasawa Laboratory at the University of Tokyo to research and develop generative AI tools targeting automation of 70% of QA and debugging tasks in game development by the end of 2027. As of November 2025, this initiative is in a joint research phase with a team of more than ten members.
Square Enix uses an internal AI chatbot called 'Hisui-chan,' powered by Azure OpenAI Service (GPT-4), to answer technical questions from game developers about the company's proprietary game engine. The tool is available to employees via Slack and a secure local app, reducing the burden on game engine support staff.
Have evidence about Square Enix's AI practices? Submit a report.
Submit a report →AI Trace is free and nonprofit. Support our work
AI researcher Yusuke Mori presented the research at the 2024 Game Developers Conference in a talk titled 'Machine Learning Summit: Fictional Speech Synthesis to Avoid the Risk in Generative Contents.' The system converts developer-written text into a procedurally generated fictional language with its own pronunciation rules, without relying on pre-recorded voice actors for those fictional words. Mori did not indicate the research was deployed in any active game production at the time of the talk; it was described as exploratory research into possible future applications.
Square Enix tested natural language processing technology in a publicly released tech demo called 'Square Enix AI Tech Preview: The Portopia Serial Murder Case,' launched free on Steam in April 2023. The demo allowed players to type free-form text commands to an NPC partner, with AI interpreting the player's intent rather than requiring exact keyword input.
The Portopia tech preview applied Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to a re-release of the classic 1983 adventure game, enabling the game to understand varied player phrasing rather than requiring precise command inputs. Square Enix described it as an educational demonstration of NLP technology and its potential application to adventure games. A Natural Language Generation (NLG) function was omitted from the release due to risk of the AI generating harmful content; Square Enix stated it would consider reintroducing NLG when safer conditions could be assured. The demo was released free to play on PC via Steam.
