India, Oct. 9 -- When Capcom came calling, Shagufta "XYAA" Iqbal thought she knew the drill. Another gaming collaboration, perhaps a sponsored stream, and a chance to introduce her audience to a new experience. But this wasn't the usual creator deal. Instead of simply playing Dragon's Dogma 2 for her community, she was about to become part of the game itself.

The Revenant XSpark creator has joined Dragon's Dogma 2 Dark Arisen as an Official Pawn, allowing players worldwide to recruit her artificial intelligence (AI)-controlled companion through the Rift system and bring her along on their adventures.

Veterans of Dragon's Dogma know that Pawns aren't just non-player characters (NPCs) following the player around. They can turn a difficult...