Square Enix is integrating Google Gemini AI into Dragon Quest X, introducing a new interactive Slime companion designed to reduce the isolation that can afflict players in long grinding sessions. During a Dragon Quest X Spring Festival 2026 broadcast, staff for the game revealed the in-game chatbot that uses Google Gemini's generative AI to converse with players.
The AI-powered companion, called Oshaberi Slimey or Chatty Slimey, is designed to communicate with players using generated text and voice responses. The character will be capable of recognizing on-screen activity and reacting dynamically, including commenting on outfit changes, acknowledging when players defeat strong enemies, and reacting to the discovery of rare items. In addition to reactive dialogue, the companion will provide gameplay assistance; players will be able to ask for hints, with the AI offering guidance on progression, including suggestions on where to go next.
DQX development lead Takashi Anzai said of Slimey that "new players won't feel lonely wondering where to start playing; it will become their own personal companion." Jack Buser, Director for Games and Strategic Industries for Google, joined the broadcast to announce the partnership, saying the goal is to "deepen the bond between all of you [the players] and the world of Dragon Quest."
The timing of the announcement reveals a troubling mismatch between Square Enix's priorities. Dragon Quest X is one of the few Dragon Quest games that has not received a release in the West as well as the only mainline entry not to be released in the West in any form, despite fan demand. There has been no announcement regarding a western release for either the online or single-player games.
MMOs have toyed with AI chatbots before; Wuxia RPG Where Winds Meet was full of them, and it did not take players long to get extremely weird with their new AI buddies. While there are eager experiments with this technology happening all over the industry, AI chatbots have proven easy to manipulate in the past, and this all gets especially messy when you throw earnest roleplay and real emotional attachments into the mix.
A closed beta test will be held for Chatty Slimey and will be recruiting applicants between March 21st and March 30th, 2026. A new expansion for Dragon Quest X is scheduled to launch for PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on June 26, 2026.
For the 14-year-old MMORPG, the AI companion represents another feature layered onto a game that millions of Japanese players have invested years into, whilst English-speaking fans continue to use workarounds and machine translation to access what remains officially off-limits to them.