Microsoft has unveiled a research project that generates and runs Quake II entirely within an artificial intelligence model, creating a playable version of the game in real time.
One of the heads of the Xbox department, Haiyan Zhan, published a demo of this technology – Quake II was launched in a browser using AI. “AI-generated gameplay – movement, shooting, exploration – and each frame is created on the fly by an AI model of the world, reacting to the player’s actions in real time. <..> The original Quake II level remains a powerful expression of the developers’ vision. This AI opens up new ways to interact with the process and perhaps shows how future tools can empower development teams,” the top manager explained. Anyone can try the technology by visiting the project page.
The gaming industry is particularly prone to adopting generative AI because it combines multiple disciplines—code, design, storytelling, and media—in development cycles that are often constrained by tight budgets and deadlines. This combination of creative complexity and resource pressure makes game production particularly receptive to tools that can partially automate structured tasks.