Square Enix and Google are extending their Gemini AI partnership with a new in-person Dragon Quest event in Tokyo, following a divisive reception to an earlier AI-powered companion feature added to Dragon Quest X. The "Gemini Quest" event, taking place on 30th July across four locations in Shibuya and Harajuku, asks participants to use the Gemini app's AI and augmented reality tools to battle giant monster statues and "seal away" a resurrected Dragon King. It highlights the growing, and often contentious, push to integrate generative AI into major Japanese gaming franchises.

Players who complete the in-person quests can earn a limited-edition physical "mini medal" featuring engravings of Dragon Quest monsters such as slimes and killer machines. The event builds on March's "Chatty Slimey" AI companion launched for Dragon Quest X, a Japan-exclusive MMORPG, which drew a mixed reaction from fans. The move comes amid a broader trend of generative AI being adopted more aggressively across parts of the Asian games industry, despite pushback from developers elsewhere over its use.