As competition intensifies across the mobile gaming landscape, companies are searching for ways to turn fleeting attention into lasting relationships.
In a move that signals how entertainment brands may evolve in the age of artificial intelligence, Saga and Etermax have reimagined Trivia Crack’s beloved mascot Willy as an interactive AI presence designed to live beyond the boundaries of the app itself.
Rather than launching a brand new digital personality, the teams chose to build on a character that already carries emotional weight with millions of players worldwide. “Willy already has emotional resonance and global recognition,” the team explains. “Rather than inventing something from scratch, we chose to extend a character players already love into a new medium. This isn’t about replacing IP, it’s evolving it.” By transforming Willy into an AI agent, they add, “Turning Willy into an AI agent allows him to become a living, interactive presence across platforms while staying rooted in the identity fans know.”
The decision reflects a broader shift in how studios think about discovery and engagement. Instead of relying solely on traditional advertising funnels, the goal is to let conversation drive curiosity. “Traditional acquisition is transactional,” they note. “An AI character makes it relational. Instead of interrupting users with ads, Willy can build familiarity and engagement over time. The install becomes a natural outcome of an ongoing interaction, not a one-click conversion event.”
Willy’s new form allows him to interact with fans across social platforms, where users can chat, share stories, or simply engage with the character as they would with a familiar personality. Early responses suggest that audiences are embracing the experience in surprisingly human ways.
“The strongest signal is that users treat Willy like a character, not a bot,” the team says. “We’re seeing recurring conversions, organic sharing, and genuine back-and-forth engagement. People tell Willy about their day and random interests. He checks in on them and offers new recs and support. The frequency of this pattern tells us the interaction feels authentic rather than promotional.”
Behind the scenes, maintaining that sense of authenticity requires careful coordination between creative direction and technical execution. “Authenticity starts with creative alignment,” they explain. “We work closely with the IP holder to define voice, humor, and boundaries. On the tech layer, we emphasize efficient fine-tuning of models to make sure we have as much control and nuance as possible to observe guardrails and add layers of complexity and understanding to the agent. The goal is a character with consistency and color, not a generic chatbot.”
Running a persistent character across multiple platforms introduces its own complexities, particularly when it comes to memory and continuity. “The main challenge is coherence, which comes down to the AI challenge of persistent memory,” they say. “Each platform operates differently, but the character must feel like the same entity everywhere and, most importantly, recall what a user told them on a different platform. That requires maintaining memory, state, and personality continuity at scale in real time.”
While the immediate focus is on engagement and user growth, the long-term vision extends much further. The team sees AI agents evolving into active participants within digital ecosystems. “Agents will also be able to sell in-game items, exclusive experiences, merch or be instruments of any other campaign the IP holder has in mind,” they explain. “This will integrate the agents into in-game economies and commerce flows. Long term, agents become connective tissue. They can guide onboarding, host events, introduce new content, and deepen community interaction.”
Industry observers are watching closely to see whether character-driven AI becomes a common playbook. The creators believe it will, provided it is executed thoughtfully. “Yes, but only if they’re done well,” they say. “Studios are always looking for durable ways to extend IP. Persistent AI characters create continuous engagement beyond the gameplay loop. Over time, we believe this will become a core strategy, not a novelty.”
The implications may reach far beyond gaming. Any sector built around recognizable personalities or stories could adopt similar approaches. “Any industry built around recognizable IP can adopt this model: film/TV, sports, music publishing, and consumer brands,” they note. “AI agents allow characters and brands to maintain an active presence both during and between high traffic releases, turning audiences into ongoing participants rather than passive consumers.”
As with any technology that interacts directly with users, responsibility remains central. “We implement layered safeguards: moderation filters, behavioral constraints, escalation systems, and continuous monitoring,” they explain. “Equally important, users know they’re interacting with an AI character. Responsible deployment is essential for trust.”
Looking ahead, the team sees artificial intelligence fundamentally reshaping how companies communicate with their audiences. “AI will shift brands from broadcasters to participants,” they say. “Instead of pushing content outward, brands will engage in continuous dialogue. The ones that succeed will treat AI not as automation, but as a new medium for building lasting relationships.”
For Trivia Crack, a franchise that has entertained hundreds of millions of players over the years, Willy’s evolution represents more than a technical upgrade. It suggests a future where the line between character and companion grows increasingly blurred, and where the most powerful connection between a brand and its audience might begin with something as simple as a conversation.