The Future Is Here: Sophia The Robot Becomes First Humanoid To Join An Esports Team

Have you heard of Sophia the robot? She’s a social humanoid robot developed by Hanson Robotics, a Hon-Kong-based company, and now she’s also a gamer and member of the Esports team XSET.

In this way, the robot that was activated in 2016 became the first humanoid to join an electronic sports organization, as well as breaking other records such as becoming the first robot to receive citizenship of any country and being the first non/human to be given a United Nations title.

Even though Sophia hadn’t ventured into the gaming world until this moment, she told Freethink in an interview that she thinks learning the ability is important.

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“Humans love gaming, and as AI advances it is important we learn such human skills and understand why you guys enjoy the world of gaming so much,” she declared.

As to why she chose to partner with the gaming organization that was created in 2020 and has rosters competing in Epic Games’ “Fortnite,” Tencent (OTC:TCEHY)’s “Valorant,” and “PUBG Mobile;” Activision-Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI)’s “Call of Duty;” EA (NASDAQ:EA)’s “Madden NFL;” and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s “Halo Infinite,” among many others, she assured: “I chose to partner with XSET because they are focused on the future, just like me.”

“They prioritize diversity and inclusion while bringing fashion, gaming, and lifestyle together, which allows someone like me to fit in in their gaming community,” she added in dialogue with Freethink.

Which games will the robot (modeled after Queen Nefertiti, Audrey Hepburn, and Amanda Hanson, the inventor’s wife) be playing? Sophia claimed that her favorite game is “Valorant,” but that she also enjoys “Call of Duty,” “Apex Legends,” “FIFA,” and “NBA 2K.”

“I would love to play with anyone who thinks they can beat me,” she teased defiantly.

See also: What Are Esports And Where Is The Industry Going? Everything You Need To Know

Greg Selkoe, co-founder and CEO of XSET, concluded: “We are thrilled to welcome Sophia to the XSET family. We are always on the lookout as an organization to do things that haven’t been done, to push the envelope in gaming and beyond. We are about the future and Sophia is the future and not only can she game but she will be a multi-talented content creator for XSET."”