Deadlock Dev Uses ChatGPT to Help With Matchmaking Code

Valve's upcoming MOBA-hero shooter, Deadlock, recently overhauled its matchmaking system, thanks to a surprising source: the AI chatbot ChatGPT. A Valve engineer revealed the details on Twitter (X).

ChatGPT's Role in Deadlock's Matchmaking Overhaul

Deadlock's previous matchmaking, based on MMR (Matchmaking Rating), faced significant player criticism. Reddit threads were filled with complaints about unevenly matched teams, with experienced players often pitted against less skilled teammates. One player lamented consistently facing superior opponents while their team lacked comparable skill.

(c) r/DeadlockTheGame The Deadlock team acknowledged these issues, promising a complete matchmaking system rewrite. According to Valve engineer Fletcher Dunn, ChatGPT played a crucial role in finding a solution. Dunn's Twitter posts showcased his ChatGPT conversation, which led to the implementation of the Hungarian algorithm for hero selection in Deadlock's matchmaking.

Dunn's reliance on ChatGPT is evident in his tweets. He describes having a dedicated browser tab permanently open for the AI chatbot, highlighting its growing utility in his workflow. He even plans to continue sharing his "ChatGPT wins," aiming to demonstrate the tool's capabilities to skeptics.

While acknowledging the benefits of speed and efficiency, Dunn also expressed some reservations. He noted that using ChatGPT often replaces direct human interaction, whether in-person or through online discussions. This sparked a debate on social media, with some users highlighting concerns about AI potentially replacing human programmers.

The Hungarian algorithm, a type of bipartite matching algorithm, addresses the problem of finding optimal pairings where only one side (in this case, player preferences) has specific requirements. This is analogous to how search engines like Google return results based on user search queries.

Despite the improvements, some Deadlock players remain dissatisfied, expressing their frustration with the recent matchmaking changes on Dunn's Twitter feed. Some comments were strongly critical, highlighting the perceived negative impact of the ChatGPT-assisted changes.

Here at Game8, we remain optimistic about Deadlock's potential. For a more in-depth look at our playtest experience and overall impressions, check out the article linked below!