Recently many tools, including algorithms and systems, have made it easier to populate immersive virtual environments (VEs) with autonomous characters Today it is common to explore virtual environments that can reach the size of an entire city that can be populated by many thousands of virtual characters Through both invited and contributed presentations, we will present state of the art character and crowd animation techniques for interactive characters, some examples of new research opportunities by the availability of populated virtual environment, new research on avatars and discuss technological requirements for future applications.