Krafton is directly integrating artificial intelligence into gameplay and opening what it calls an AI partner era in earnest.

The company will release a beta of a new PUBG: Battlegrounds mode, Ally Duo, from June 17, applying its AI technology PUBG Ally, the industry said on June 16.

Ally Duo is a new arcade mode in which a player forms a two-person team with an AI character, Ella, and plays on the Sanhok map. Players communicate with their partner, Ella, by voice and cooperate organically across battlefield situations including movement, item collection and strategy planning.

The partner, Ella, is built on Krafton's AI technology PUBG Ally. It is a new type of CPC (Co-Playable Character) system that plays together with game users. It uses an on-device small language model based on Nvidia ACE technology and is designed to understand users' voice commands and game situations on its own and make active judgments.

It combines speech-to-text and text-to-speech technologies to support real-time interaction as if communicating with a person. Unlike existing NPCs that respond mechanically only to set conditions, it drives cooperation aligned with the actual flow of play, from immediate action responses during combat to strategy planning that requires understanding context.

The beta service, aimed at global users, will run for 2 weeks from June 17 to July 1. It supports voice interaction in 3 languages, including Korean, Chinese and English. Krafton plans to advance AI-linked technology based on user feedback collected during the period.

Kang Wook Lee (이강욱), Krafton's chief AI officer, said, "Through this beta service, we have been able to showcase a new form of play that Ella and users create together." He added, "We will continue to drive innovation in game experiences using AI technology based on diverse feedback from users."

Kim Sang-gyun (김상균), head of Krafton's Battlegrounds Development Division, said, "We expect PUBG Ally to become a tool that content creators can use in fun ways by staging various situations." He added, "We will continue to introduce various modes that deliver new fun for Battlegrounds users."