Valve's upcoming MOBA-hero shooter, Deadlock, recently overhauled its matchmaking system, leveraging the power of ChatGPT. A Valve engineer, Fletcher Dunn, publicly shared his use of the AI chatbot to identify the Hungarian algorithm as a solution to the game's matchmaking challenges.
Addressing Player Complaints
Deadlock's previous MMR-based matchmaking faced significant criticism from players. Reddit threads and Discord discussions highlighted issues with unbalanced team skill levels, frequently pitting experienced players against newcomers. The prevailing sentiment was that the system wasn't effectively matching players of similar skill. One player commented, "I never had better/ equally skilled teammates," reflecting a common complaint.
The Deadlock team acknowledged these concerns, promising a system rewrite. Dunn's use of ChatGPT accelerated this process, leading to the implementation of the Hungarian algorithm. He enthusiastically shared his experience on Twitter (X), highlighting ChatGPT's utility and expressing surprise at its effectiveness.
ChatGPT's Role and the Debate
Dunn's tweets sparked a discussion about the role of AI in software development. While he celebrated ChatGPT's assistance, he also acknowledged a potential downside: the replacement of human interaction and collaboration. Some commentators expressed skepticism, fearing AI's potential to displace programmers.
The Hungarian algorithm, as explained by Dunn's interaction with ChatGPT, addresses a specific matchmaking problem: optimizing matches where only one side (e.g., a player's team) has preferences. This contrasts with more traditional algorithms that might consider both sides' preferences equally.
Mixed Reactions and Future Outlook
Despite the improvements, some Deadlock players remain unhappy with the matchmaking, attributing recent issues directly to the ChatGPT-assisted changes. Negative feedback on Dunn's tweets ranged from frustration to outright anger.
However, Game8 maintains a positive outlook on Deadlock's potential, anticipating an exciting release. Further details on our playtest experience can be found in the linked article.
