Yuji Horii is not treating AI in games as just another menu shortcut. The Dragon Quest creator sees it as something more personal: a way to make RPG companions feel closer to actual travel buddies.
Square Enix and Google recently announced Oshaberi Slimey, also known as Chatty Slimey, a Gemini-powered AI chatbot planned for Dragon Quest X. The feature puts an AI Slime into the game as a support character, and Horii spoke more about the idea during Google Cloud Next 2026 in Las Vegas.
According to Horii, AI has potential beyond convenience. He sees it as a kind of friend for each player, especially in RPGs where the feeling of going on an adventure with others is already a huge part of the fantasy.
Why a Slime, not random AI townspeople?
Horii said his original Dragon Quest goal was to make NPC dialogue feel as human as possible. Back then, that meant carefully written lines from townspeople. Now, AI can actually respond to players, which opens a very different door.
But he also does not want every villager in town suddenly replaced by AI chatter. That would be messy, and honestly, probably annoying fast. Instead, Dragon Quest X is trying a more focused approach: one companion character that players can talk to for help, advice, and potentially more casual topics too.
That makes sense. A Slime is already one of Dragon Quest’s most familiar mascots, so putting the AI inside that form feels less cold than opening a generic chatbot window. For Malaysian and SEA players, this is the part worth watching: if AI support characters become normal, they could change how MMOs and live-service RPGs teach players, recommend content, and keep returning players engaged.
What Chatty Slimey can actually do
Chatty Slimey is designed to respond based on what is happening in Dragon Quest X. It can look at factors such as player progression, screenshots, inventory, and other in-game information before suggesting what to do next or what equipment might be useful.
It will also support real-time voice interaction through Gemini Live. Based on Horii’s comments, the chatbot will not be locked only to game questions. He is interested in AI characters that can listen with empathy and talk about everyday concerns, not just where to grind next.
That is exciting, but also a bit sus if handled badly. Players already get attached to party members, guildmates, and gacha favourites. If a game character starts remembering your playstyle and chatting like a buddy, developers need to be very clear about privacy, boundaries, and what data is being used. SEA gamers are practical bro — cool feature, but tell us what screenshots, inventory info, and voice data are being processed.
A small experiment with big industry implications
A beta version of Chatty Slimey has already been tested, but Square Enix has not announced the official launch date yet.
For now, this is less about Dragon Quest X alone and more about where RPGs may be heading. If Square Enix and Google get this right, AI companions could become a useful onboarding tool for beginners, especially in complicated online games where new players often bounce off because there is too much to learn.
If they get it wrong, it becomes another forced AI gimmick that players mute after five minutes.
Horii’s approach at least sounds measured: start with one beloved support character, keep it inside the game’s personality, and see whether players actually want to talk to it. For a series built on warm, approachable adventure, a helpful Slime buddy is probably the least cringe way to test this.
Source: Automaton Media