HoYoverse Reportedly Plans Major AI Investment, With Petit Planet NPCs Part of the Push

HoYoverse is reportedly preparing to spend up to $14.6 billion over the next three years on AI, with the goal of building what it described as a “complete AI ecosystem.” The plan was discussed by co-founder Liu Wei during a private student session earlier this month, according to a GameLook report.

The investment would cover a full in-house AI stack, including infrastructure, automation, NPC systems, and content generation. How much of that will actually show up in HoYoverse’s games is still unclear, but the company has already confirmed one concrete example: its upcoming cozy sim Petit Planet will use AI technology for NPCs.

Petit Planet is HoYoverse’s next life sim-style project, and AI-driven NPC behavior could fit that genre pretty naturally if it’s used for conversations, routines, or reactivity. HoYoverse hasn’t laid out exactly how those NPCs will work, though, so it’s too early to say whether this is a small feature or a central part of the game.

The company has been signaling interest in AI for a while. Reports have pointed to earlier talk of a “self-evolving autonomous AI civilization,” along with AI-assisted work tied to Honkai: Star Rail NPCs and investments in AI-related companies. This latest figure, if accurate, puts a much larger number on that direction.

Liu reportedly acknowledged the risk, saying the money involved is huge and that success isn’t guaranteed. That’s worth keeping in mind, especially as AI use in game development remains a tense subject. Tools for NPC behavior are one thing. AI-assisted content generation, particularly during a rough period for game industry jobs, is going to draw a lot more scrutiny.