Meta's Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor now lets creators AI-generate island environments, and will let them add conversational AI NPCs "very soon". What Is Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor? Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor is a flatscreen Windows PC application Meta released in early access in February, alongside deprecating the in-VR creation tools of Horizon Worlds.The editor offers the ability to import 3D assets, images, and sound files, place them in a 3D landscape, and implement game logic and other functionality using TypeScript, a popular offshoot of JavaScript. These worlds are then immediately playable and multiplayer-capable in Horizon Worlds.In the US, UK, Canada, EU, Australia, New Zealand, creators can also AI-generate 3D meshes, textures, skyboxes, sound effects, ambient audio, and TypeScript.You can download Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor here. The new features come just weeks after Meta added Creator Assistant, an AI agent capable of performing many development tasks within Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor, as well as answering questions about what's possible and how to do it.Horizon Worlds ‘Creator Assistant’ AI Agent Automates DevelopmentMeta’s Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor now has ‘Creator Assistant’, an AI agent capable of performing many development tasks.UploadVRDavid HeaneyIsland Environment GenerationBack in May, Meta first teased that Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor would get the ability to AI-generate entire 3D worlds.Then, in June, the company revealed that this feature would be called Environment Generation, teased example generations, and said it would launch "very soon". 0:00 /0:30 1× Meta's June tease of Environment Generation. Now, the feature has arrived - but in a notably limited form.As it turns out, there was a reason Meta only shared examples of islands. Environment Generation is, in its current form, solely an island generator. That's the only 'Generator' available today.You as the creator specify the island's width, length, shape, number of buildings, and building style using traditional UI elements.For the shape, you choose between Round, Crescent, or Ring. For the building style, there's Tropical Hut, Surf Shack, Coastal Cottage, and Log Cabin.The style and number of trees, grass, and rocks are decided by the AI, based on the text prompt you enter.Prompt: “A forest in fall”Prompt: “A spooky forest with barren trees and purple grass”Prompt: “An island overgrown with golden grass”Prompt: “A desolate wasteland”It takes a few minutes to generate the island, in my testing, and each tree, building, and dock is a separate entity in the editor, so you can customize the generated island manually using the traditional editor UI tools. It's not just one giant mesh.Conversational AI NPCs "Very Soon"Meta first teased AI NPCs for Horizon Worlds at Connect 2024, and they're already available to select Meta-partnered creators. They're powered by Meta's Llama 4 large language model, and have contextual knowledge of the world they're in.If you're in the US and Canada, you can try talking to Horizon AI NPCs already today in Bobber Bay Fishing, for example. 0:00 /0:24 1× Meta's AI NPC tease at Connect 2024. Now, almost a year after the announcement, and a few weeks before Connect 2025, Meta says all Horizon Worlds creators will be able to add AI NPCs "very soon"."With the power to seamlessly integrate unique characters and captivating dialogue, you can elevate gameplay by offering players helpful context, witty banter, hints on where to explore and what actions to take, all while deepening the lore of your world."To customize the personality of each AI NPC, Meta is updating the Character Builder tool, previously used for regular NPCs, to include traits like name, backstory, instructions, and guardrails.You'll also be able to choose between dozens of synthetic voices for each AI NPC, and adjust the speed and pitch. 0:00 /0:44 1× How you add AI NPCs in Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor. Later this year, Meta says it will also let AI NPCs trigger "in-world actions", making them active participants in the virtual world.The company hasn't yet said whether the capability will be limited to the US & Canada.