PUBG’s New AI Teammate Is Live, But You Need an RTX GPU to Play

PUBG players can now swap a human squadmate for an AI-controlled partner through the new Ally Duo mode.

Available as a limited-time PC beta, the mode pairs players with Ella, an AI teammate developed by Krafton and Nvidia using the latter's ACE technology. It can be access by heading to Play, Arcade and then Ally Duo from PUBG's main menu.

The beta began on June 17 and will remain available until July 1 at 7am UTC, which is 11am in the UAE. Nvidia describes the test as a two-week beta running through June 30, with Krafton using player feedback to help shape future AI agents in its games.

PUBG Ally requires a GeForce RTX GPU

The most significant restriction is that Ally Duo is only available on PCs equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics card. If the game does not detect compatible RTX hardware, the Play button for the mode will be disabled.

Krafton lists an RTX 2080 Ti or RTX 3060 as the minimum GPU, accompanied by at least 8GB of VRAM and 16Gb of system memory. The recommended specification increases that to an RTX 4070, 12GB of VRAM and 24GB of RAM.

Players must also install NVIDIA driver 555.85 or newer and enable Windows' Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling setting. A system restart is required after switching the feature on, particularly on Windows 10 systems where it may be disabled by default.

What can PUBG’s AI teammate actually do?

Ella is designed to behave more like a cooperative teammate than a traditional scripted bot. It can independently navigate the map, collect loot, engage enemies and adjust its behaviour based on both the player’s instructions and events taking place during the match.

Players can communicate with Ella using either voice or text commands. NVIDIA says the system understands casual conversation alongside tactical instructions, PUBG terminology, common player callouts, map locations and the attributes of different items.

Ally Duo takes place on Sanhok and is restricted to the third-person perspective. Matchmaking begins with the human player entering alone, after which Ella joins to create a duo. Matches can contain up to 64 participants in total, including human players, AI companions and conventional bots.

NVIDIA ACE runs locally on the GPU

PUBG Ally divides its workload between a conventional behaviour tree and NVIDIA ACE. Immediate actions such as moving, aiming and reacting during combat are handled by the behaviour tree, while ACE manages command interpretation, decision-making and Ella’s spoken responses.

The AI models run locally on the player’s RTX GPU rather than relying entirely on a remote cloud service. NVIDIA Parakeet converts spoken English commands into text, a two-billion-parameter Mistral-Nemo-Minitron language model analyses the situation, and Krafton’s in-house text-to-speech model generates Ella’s voice.

Running those models alongside PUBG’s graphics workload may explain the comparatively demanding hardware requirements. Krafton even recommends reducing the game’s resolution or graphics settings if Ella’s responses feel delayed.

The beta has a few limitations

Ella’s knowledge is currently based on information available before PUBG Update 41.1. Consequently, it may not properly understand newer additions or changes introduced after May, including the Tilted Grip and Hybrid Scope.

Voice communication with other players is also disabled in Ally Duo, leaving Ella as the player’s only voice-chat partner. Spectating, death cams, replays and reconnecting after a disconnection are unavailable during the beta as well.

The two-week test should provide a clearer indication of whether generative AI can produce a genuinely useful squadmate in a fast-paced multiplayer shooter—or simply a more convincing bot that happens to talk back.

FAQ

How do you play PUBG Ally Duo mode?

On PC, open PUBG and navigate to Play > Arcade > Ally Duo. The mode is unavailable if the game does not detect a compatible NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU.

What GPU do you need for PUBG’s AI teammate?

Krafton lists an RTX 2080 Ti or RTX 3060 as the minimum, together with at least 8GB of VRAM and 16GB of system RAM. An RTX 4070, 12GB of VRAM and 24GB of RAM are recommended.

Is PUBG Ally available on PlayStation or Xbox?

No. The current Ally Duo beta is exclusive to the PC version of PUBG and requires NVIDIA GeForce RTX hardware.

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