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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteSony’s U.S. Patent 12,728,355 describes generating AI teammates for squad-based games using gameplay characteristics learned from player data. The system could create an NPC that plays more like you or a friend, or fill a squad slot when a human teammate is unavailable. The patent was granted on September 8, 2026, but that does not mean the feature has been implemented in a released game.
What Sony’s AI NPC patent proposes
Sony’s patent describes an AI model learning gameplay characteristics from data such as a player’s game history, scores and style of play, then using those characteristics to generate nonplayer characters for squad-based play. The examples include an AI teammate that resembles the player’s tendencies or those of a friend on a gaming network, as well as custom AI players that can take the place of unavailable human teammates. The proposal appears in Sony’s patent publication.
Which parts of a player’s style could shape an NPC?
The patent gives examples including weapon choice, attack direction and skill level. It also describes combining gameplay characteristics learned from more than one user. Its description states: “The AI model is trained to have a percentage of gameplay characteristics learned from gameplay by the one the users and a percentage of gameplay characteristics from gameplay by another one of the users.” That is the wording in the patent description, including its awkward phrasing.
Why generate an AI teammate?
The document presents squad play when other people are unavailable as one intended use. It also suggests offering an alternative to potential teammates who are disruptive. These are proposed benefits, not measured outcomes or evidence that players will prefer AI teammates.
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Was the patent granted, and does it mean the feature is coming?
The application was filed on August 30, 2023, and published on March 6, 2025. It was granted as U.S. Patent 12,728,355 on September 8, 2026. The grant record lists Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. and Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC as assignees; see the U.S. patent grant record.
A patent describes and claims a proposed system. Its grant does not establish that Sony has built the system into a game, plans to release it, or has announced a product using it. The patent description provides no named statistical result or measured performance figure for the proposed NPCs.
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How this filing differs from Sony’s other NPC-personalization application
Sony also filed US20250235789A1, a separate application about NPC personalization and electronic game control. It describes a user initiating personalization and possible use of audio, text or image data, with filtering of personal data and changes to NPC actions, appearance or communication style.
| Filing | Personalization source and focus | Document status |
|---|---|---|
| US20250073594A1 / U.S. Patent 12,728,355 | Gameplay data and learned play characteristics; generating NPC teammates for squad-based play | Granted September 8, 2026 |
| US20250235789A1 | Possible audio, text or image data; personalizing NPC actions, appearance or communication | Separate application; the cited document is an application publication |
The two filings describe different approaches and should not be treated as one system: the granted patent centers on cooperative gameplay behavior learned from player data, while the separate application discusses broader NPC personalization.
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