Using Agentic AI for Gamers: Turning “Botting” Into a Studio Revenue Stream
This article distills the key insights from a Lightning Talk by Oren Bennett.
Players already seek automation to manage repetitive gameplay, but often through unapproved services that violate game rules. Agentic AI reframes this behavior as an ethical, studio-owned system that gives players flexibility while creating new value for developers. The direct takeaway: turning automation into an official feature converts player frustration into a legitimate revenue stream.
Key takeaway
- Agentic AI transforms unapproved automation into a studio-approved service players can opt into.
- Players gain flexibility on days they cannot play, without violating rules or disrupting fairness.
- Studios control boundaries, maintain balance, and capture revenue previously lost to third-party botting.
- AI agents operate within game-specific constraints, ensuring trust and integrity.
Who This Helps
- Studio heads and LiveOps managers exploring new monetization models
- Product leads researching player retention and engagement strategies
- Developers building AI-assisted gameplay systems
- Business strategists assessing automation’s ethical and economic impact
- Investors tracking the intersection of AI and player behavior
The Problem: Player Frustration With Grind
Many players love their favorite games but feel trapped by repetitive daily tasks and time-limited events. Oren Bennett noticed that even dedicated fans often miss rewards because they can’t log in every day.
This frustration has fueled an underground market of “botting” and “farming” services that automate progress, but these violate most games’ terms of service. Players want convenience, and studios spend resources fighting it.
Instead of banning automation, Bennett proposes a different approach: turning the desire for convenience into a legitimate, paid experience that benefits both sides.
Turning Banned Behavior Into a Studio-Owned Model
Through his company, Evil Incorporated, Bennett reframes automation as an opt-in service. Players subscribe to approved AI companions that complete specific in-game tasks while maintaining balance and fairness.
The concept, often described as “Never Grind Again,” moves automation from the black market into the official ecosystem:
- The studio defines what actions are permitted.
- Automation is transparent and player approved.
- Fairness is preserved because the system operates inside the game’s rules.
Instead of replacing gameplay, these AI companions provide flexibility. Players can maintain streaks or claim rewards on days when life prevents them from logging in.
This turns a once-prohibited behavior into a recurring, legitimate service.
How the Technology Works
Evil Inc’s early prototypes use a Gemini-style agentic AI system trained on game footage and screenshots. These agents learn player behaviors, replicate actions, and operate within predefined constraints set by the studio.
Key principles drawn from the talk:
- Each implementation is tailored to the specific game.
- The AI respects the game’s rules, progression systems, and balance.
- Boundaries are predetermined to prevent disruption.
- Automation happens inside the studio’s environment, not through external tools.
By keeping intelligence inside the official ecosystem, studios maintain control over fairness and ensure the AI behaves in ways that support the intended player experience.
Ethical Design and Player Trust
Any AI system that automates gameplay must earn player and studio trust. Evil Inc’s framework emphasizes transparency, players always know when AI is acting on their behalf, and studios define what actions are permitted.
This approach avoids competitive imbalance by restricting AI to non-ranked modes or specific utility features. It also ensures compliance with regional laws and parental controls.
By focusing on ethical boundaries, studios can introduce AI assistance without undermining engagement or progression integrity.
Beyond Player Automation
The same agentic approach can support the development process itself. Bennett notes additional applications, including:
- QA testing
- Live-ops balancing
- Economy analysis
By simulating player behavior at scale, studios can identify issues, test changes, and forecast outcomes more effectively. These benefits carry across production stages.
A New Player Experience
Agentic AI opens a new category of in-game services: personalized support that adapts to player schedules. Players maintain progress without feeling punished for missed sessions.“Every game is its own universe,” Oren explained. “You can’t just drop one model into another. Our system learns each title’s rhythm, rules, and feel.”
For studios, it offers recurring revenue and improved retention, a rare combination of profitability and player satisfaction. AI companions can even extend engagement by learning player habits, recommending activities, and ensuring players never fall behind.
Conclusion
Agentic AI reframes automation as a studio-defined service instead of a prohibited practice. By aligning convenience with fairness, studios can enhance player satisfaction while reclaiming value previously lost to unofficial tools.
About the Speaker
Oren Bennett is a business development leader with 15 years of experience across gaming, ad-tech, AI, and blockchain. He has helped scale top-grossing mobile games through partnerships that drive in-app revenue and organic growth. With deep expertise in live ops and monetization, Oren brings a practical lens to how emerging technology is reshaping player engagement.