Valve's upcoming MOBA-hero shooter, Deadlock, recently overhauled its matchmaking system, leveraging the power of ChatGPT. A developer, Fletcher Dunn, publicly shared his use of the AI chatbot to identify the Hungarian algorithm as a solution to their matchmaking challenges.
Deadlock's Matchmaking Overhaul: A ChatGPT Success Story
Deadlock's previous MMR-based matchmaking faced significant criticism from players. Reddit threads highlighted widespread dissatisfaction with unbalanced matches, often pitting experienced players against newcomers. One player commented on the disparity in skill levels between teammates and opponents, stating, "I never had better/equally skilled teammates." Another echoed this sentiment, noting the uneven matchups in early-game experiences.
Responding to player feedback, the Deadlock team acknowledged the flaws in their existing system. A developer announced a complete matchmaking system rewrite on the game's Discord server. This rewrite ultimately led to the implementation of the Hungarian algorithm, discovered through ChatGPT, as confirmed by Dunn's Twitter posts.
Dunn enthusiastically championed ChatGPT's role in this improvement, highlighting its increasing utility in his workflow. He even dedicated a Chrome tab solely to the AI chatbot. While acknowledging the potential for AI to displace human interaction, he remains impressed by its capabilities. His tweets sparked a debate, with some users expressing skepticism about AI replacing programmers.
The Hungarian algorithm, a type of bipartite matching algorithm, addresses the specific need for a matchmaking system where only one side (e.g., player preferences) dictates the match. This contrasts with traditional matchmaking, which often considers both sides' attributes. Dunn's interaction with ChatGPT focused on finding an optimal solution for this specific scenario.
Despite the improvements, some players remain unconvinced, expressing continued frustration with the matchmaking system. Negative reactions to Dunn's tweets highlight the ongoing challenges in balancing player expectations with the implementation of new algorithms.
At Game8, we remain optimistic about Deadlock's potential. For a more in-depth look at our impressions and playtest experiences, check out the link below!
