inZOI: The First Game to Feature AI-Powered NPCs Using NVIDIA ACE

January 7, 2025 – KRAFTON has made a groundbreaking announcement at CES 2025 with the unveiling of inZOI, their highly anticipated direct rival to EA’s The Sims. What sets inZOI apart is its incorporation of NVIDIA’s innovative AI technology, NVIDIA ACE, to enhance the game’s NPCs. These AI-driven NPCs will be known as CPCs (Co-Playable Characters), marking a new era in interactive gaming.

AI-Powered CPCs: A New Era for NPCs

Unlike traditional NPCs, which are limited to pre-scripted interactions, inZOI’s CPCs are dynamic AI companions powered by NVIDIA ACE’s on-device Small Language Model (SLM). These CPCs are designed to understand and respond to players in a much more human-like way, allowing them to interact, cooperate, and adapt to the player’s actions and the environment in real-time. The result is a game world where characters feel more alive and responsive to the player, opening up a realm of possibilities for more immersive and personalized experiences.

With Smart Zoi technology, the behavior of each CPC is not only influenced by their individual traits but also by the specific situations they encounter in the game. This ensures that every NPC reacts differently, depending on their context, leading to a more diverse and realistic experience for players.

Expanding AI Across KRAFTON’s Portfolio

KRAFTON is not stopping with inZOI – they have plans to expand the use of CPC technology across their gaming portfolio, including the PUBG franchise. The goal is to transform the overall user experience across a variety of genres by leveraging the power of AI to create more engaging, cooperative, and intelligent NPCs. With NVIDIA ACE technology, KRAFTON aims to revolutionize how players interact with characters, making every gaming experience feel unique and more deeply connected.

Statements from KRAFTON and NVIDIA

At CES 2025, CH Kim, CEO of KRAFTON, shared his excitement for this major leap forward in gaming. “CES 2025 marks a significant milestone for KRAFTON as we work to unveil AI technology that will revolutionize the gaming industry,” Kim said. “We plan to closely collaborate with NVIDIA to drive the transformation of the user experience with AI-powered innovation built with NVIDIA ACE, such as CPC, that’s poised to redefine the future of gaming.”

Keita Iida, Vice President of Developer Relations at NVIDIA, echoed Kim’s enthusiasm, noting, “AI is transforming the way games are created and played. By bringing our innovative AI technology, such as NVIDIA ACE, to a range of their live games, KRAFTON is unlocking co-playable characters for new, unique experiences.”

Looking Ahead: What Does the Future Hold?

The introduction of AI-powered CPCs in inZOI is just the beginning of what could be a monumental shift in how we think about NPCs in video games. With the potential for truly dynamic characters that learn from and adapt to players, this technology promises to create a level of immersion that was once thought impossible. While it's still early days, it’s exciting to imagine the kind of possibilities this technology could unlock for developers in the future.

For those eager to experience inZOI and its revolutionary CPCs, the game will be available for Early Access on Steam starting March 28th, 2025. In the meantime, fans can look forward to more updates on the game, as well as the future of AI-powered characters in gaming.