Microsoft's Quake 2 AI Prototype Ignites Online Debate

Microsoft has created a playable "interactive space inspired" by Quake II using AI, sparking a heated debate online.

As highlighted by PC Gamer, the demo utilizes Microsoft's newly announced Muse and the World and Human Action Model (WHAM) AI systems. This technology "can dynamically create gameplay visuals and simulate player behavior in real-time," resulting in an environment generated entirely by AI, without relying on a traditional game engine.

"In this real-time tech demo, Copilot dynamically generates gameplay sequences inspired by the classic game Quake II," Microsoft explained. "Every input you make triggers the next AI-generated moment in the game, almost as if you were playing the original Quake II running on a traditional game engine. Enjoy the experience, share your thoughts, and help shape the future of AI-powered gameplay experiences.

"This bite-sized demo pulls you into an interactive space inspired by Quake II, where AI crafts immersive visuals and responsive action on the fly. It’s a groundbreaking glimpse at a brand new way of interacting with games, turning cutting-edge research into a quick and compelling playable demo."

While the concept sounds impressive, the demo itself has received mixed reactions.

Following a brief video shared by The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley on X / Twitter, hundreds of users responded, with many expressing disappointment.

Microsoft has created an AI-generated replica of Quake II that you can play in browser.

"Every frame is created on the fly by an AI world model."

Play it here: link pic.twitter.com/35MX5aHPbF

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) April 5, 2025

One Redditor commented, "Man, I don't want the future of games to be AI-generated slop. There will be a point where it will be easier to use AI, and then all the greedy studios will do it exclusively. The human element will be removed. And the worst part is gamers will buy it. They buy skins for 100 dollars. They will buy whatever you sell them."

Another user added, "Microsoft's boast that they want 'to build a whole catalog of games that use this new AI model,' despite it not being clear if the current technique will ever even be capable of letting you turn around without moving to a random point on the map let alone come up with an original game, really typifies what's wrong with AI and the tech industry."

A third commenter said, "I had a better experience literally just imagining the game in my head."

However, not all feedback was negative. A more optimistic user said, "I don't know why everything has to be doom and gloom. It's a demo for a reason. It shows the future possibilities. Having an AI that is able to create a coherent and consistent world is crazy. But this cannot be used to create a full game or anything enjoyable. You cannot play this. Seems like a tool for early concept/pitching phase. This can also bring improvement in other fields in AI as what it is doing is impressive. This is not even a product yet but a demo showing how much they've improved from just a few months ago."

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney shared a different perspective, tweeting a simple image without additional context:

pic.twitter.com/XidCvhLDTI

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 5, 2025

Generative AI remains a hot topic within the video game and entertainment industries, which have experienced significant layoffs recently. It has faced criticism from players and creators over ethical and rights issues, as well as AI's challenges in producing content that audiences enjoy. For example, Keywords Studios attempted to develop an experimental game using entirely AI, but the game failed, with the company citing to investors that AI was "unable to replace talent."

Despite these challenges, several video game companies continue to explore generative AI. Activision recently disclosed the use of generative AI for some assets in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, amid backlash to an "AI slop" zombie Santa loading screen.

Last month, Horizon actor Ashly Burch addressed a controversial AI Aloy video leak, using it to highlight the demands of striking voice actors.