Tencent launches AI companion app Eciyuan, featuring virtual companion characters such as a 19-year-old female college student.

Tencent launched the first beta test of "E-CY," an AI game companion app positioned as a "personal AI game partner," featuring four female AI characters—including a 19-year-old journalism student, an esports commentator, and a Cantonese cuisine chef—with a male character slot reserved but not yet open. The Windows client identifies on-screen gameplay and offers real-time commentary on match situations, item builds, and tactics via text, voice, and live calls, supporting titles including League of Legends, Valorant, CS2, and Phantom Blade Zero. The app also connects with mobile QQ for chat and offers desktop pet and wallpaper features, with all usage free during the beta and pricing for the official launch unannounced. The release marks Tencent's push into AI-powered virtual companionship layered onto its gaming ecosystem, and what to watch next is whether the company discloses monetization plans and expands the roster beyond the initial four characters.