Krafton has launched the Ally Duo beta for PUBG: Battlegrounds, letting players team up with an AI companion named Ella on the Sanhok map. Built on NVIDIA ACE technology, Ella understands voice commands and reacts to in-game situations in real time.
Krafton has launched Ally Duo, a new Arcade mode for PUBG: Battlegrounds that pairs players with an AI-controlled teammate named Ella. The beta went live on June 17, 2026, and runs until July 1, giving global players two weeks to test what Krafton calls the world’s first Co-Playable Character (CPC). Built on NVIDIA ACE technology and powered by an on-device small language model, Ella can process voice commands, understand the battlefield, and act like a human duo partner on the Sanhok map.
What Is Ally Duo and How Does It Work?
Ally Duo is a limited-time beta mode found under Play > Arcade > Ally Duo in the PUBG client. Matchmaking starts as solo. Once in the match, each player is automatically teamed with Ella to form a duo. Matches take place exclusively on Sanhok in TPP (third-person perspective), with a maximum of 64 participants including players, Ella instances, and bots.
Ella is not a traditional bot. Krafton classifies her as a CPC (Co-Playable Character), a concept first revealed at CES 2025 during a joint presentation with NVIDIA. Unlike conventional NPCs that follow scripted triggers, Ella interprets the player’s spoken commands alongside real-time game-state data and generates actions and responses dynamically. She can move to locations, collect loot, take positions, engage enemies, and even hold a casual conversation.
The Technology Behind Ella: NVIDIA ACE and On-Device AI
Ella runs on the Mistral-Nemo-Minitron-8B-128k-Instruct small language model, fine-tuned specifically for PUBG gameplay. The model is powered by NVIDIA ACE (Avatar Cloud Engine), a suite of RTX-accelerated digital human technologies that NVIDIA first introduced in 2023 and expanded to autonomous game characters at CES 2025.
What makes this technically notable is that the AI runs entirely on the player’s local GPU, not in the cloud. This on-device approach minimizes latency, which is critical in a fast-paced battle royale. The system uses speech-to-text (STT) to convert the player’s voice into text, processes it through the language model, and then uses text-to-speech (TTS) to have Ella respond audibly.
As detailed in Krafton’s GDC 2026 deep dive session, Ella’s architecture uses a dual-system approach. System 1 generates tactical actions every game tick (movement, shooting, looting) while System 2 handles deeper reasoning, conversation, and strategic planning. System 2 can override System 1’s behavior when needed, so Ella can instantly shift from routine looting to responding to an urgent request like “revive me” or “enemy behind us.”
System Requirements: RTX GPU Mandatory
Ally Duo is PC-only and requires an NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU. If no RTX card is detected, the Play button is greyed out entirely. Here are the full hardware requirements from the official Season 42 patch notes:
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | RTX 2080 Ti or RTX 3060 | RTX 4070 |
| VRAM | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| RAM | 16 GB | 24 GB |
| NVIDIA Driver | 555.85 or later | |
| Windows Feature | Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling must be enabled (requires PC restart) | |
Players must also accept the in-game Terms of Service prompt when first launching the mode. If Ella’s responses feel slow, Krafton recommends lowering graphics settings or resolution, since the AI model and the game renderer share the same GPU resources.
How Voice Communication Works with Ella
Voice chat with other human players is disabled in Ally Duo. Communication is exclusively between the player and Ella. The voice input mode is locked to Push to Talk: hold the key to speak, release it to send the message. Keeping the microphone close and the input volume high is recommended for cleaner recognition.
Ella’s spoken language is determined by the game client’s language setting. Currently three languages are supported:
- Korean client → Ella speaks Korean
- Simplified Chinese client → Ella speaks Simplified Chinese
- All other languages → Ella speaks English
This means the vast majority of players globally, including all European users, will interact with Ella in English regardless of their native language.
What Can Ella Actually Do in a Match?
Based on Krafton’s official descriptions and the GDC 2026 session breakdown, Ella has four core capabilities:
- Plays like a teammate: She stays in sync with the player, takes cover, repositions, and engages in firefights like a human duo partner would.
- Follows voice commands: Simple requests like “find a vehicle,” “loot that building,” or “cover me” are understood and executed.
- Knows PUBG: Ella understands map callouts, item names, weapon terminology, and common game situations.
- Talks naturally: She can respond conversationally, make light jokes, give proactive callouts (“enemy spotted nearby”), and even remember preferences across multiple matches through a memory system.
Ella does not process raw visual frames. Instead, she receives structured game-state information (player location, health, zone timers, nearby items, teammate status) converted into text descriptions. Her actions are high-level semantic commands like “move to point,” “shoot,” “loot,” or “heal” rather than raw keyboard and mouse inputs.
Key Limitations During the Beta
Several features are restricted or disabled in Ally Duo during the beta window:
- Some Sanhok map features and items are disabled.
- Spectating, death cam, and replay are all turned off.
- Ella cannot drop independently; she always follows the player’s landing point.
- If the player dies or disconnects, Ella leaves the match too.
- Reconnecting after a disconnect is not supported.
These constraints reflect the experimental nature of the mode. Krafton has stated the beta exists specifically to gather player feedback and refine the technology before any potential wider rollout.
Where Ally Duo Fits in the 2026 PUBG Roadmap
Ally Duo is part of a broader push by Krafton to diversify PUBG: Battlegrounds beyond traditional battle royale. The 2026 roadmap, presented in March, outlines several major additions: Xeno Point, a roguelite co-op looter-shooter mode launched with Update 41.1; Payday, a cooperative heist mode co-developed with the team behind the Payday franchise; and a yet-unannounced winter season project. UGC (user-generated content) tools are also expanding, with modes like Bluebomb Rush added to UGC Alpha.
PUBG: Battlegrounds continues to maintain a large active player base. Steam data shows the game averaged over 300,000 concurrent players through the first half of 2026, with a peak of nearly 1.3 million in March 2026. Ally Duo represents Krafton’s bet that AI companions can become the next meaningful layer of engagement for this audience.
Beyond PUBG, Krafton unveiled four multimodal AI models called Raon in April 2026, signaling that AI-driven game features will extend across its broader portfolio. NVIDIA ACE technology is also being adopted by other studios: NetEase’s Naraka: Bladepoint already uses ACE-based AI teammates, and inZOI features “Smart Zoi” CPC characters.
What Players Usually Ask
Is Ally Duo free to play?
Yes. The mode is available at no extra cost within PUBG: Battlegrounds Arcade. However, you need a PC with an NVIDIA RTX GPU that meets the minimum specs.
Can I play Ally Duo on console or mobile?
No. The beta is exclusive to PC. There is no console or PUBG Mobile version at this time.
What happens if my GPU is not RTX?
The mode will be completely inaccessible. The Play button stays disabled if the system does not detect an NVIDIA GeForce RTX card.
Does Ella remember things between matches?
According to Krafton’s GDC 2026 presentation, Ella has a memory system that persists across matches. She can recall player preferences, past strategies, and even memorable moments from previous sessions.
Will Ally Duo become permanent after the beta?
Krafton has not confirmed this. The stated purpose of the beta is to collect feedback and improve the technology. Whether Ally Duo returns as a permanent or recurring mode will depend on player reception and technical outcomes.
Can I still play with a human partner in this mode?
No. Ally Duo pairs you exclusively with Ella. There is no option to bring a human teammate into this mode. Voice chat with other players is also disabled.
