Microsoft has unveiled an AI-generated, browser-based version of Quake II, demonstrating the capabilities of its Copilot AI platform. Intended primarily as a technical showcase, this experimental demo allows users to briefly explore an automatically generated level directly within their browsers. According to a blog post from Microsoft researchers, the project utilizes their Muse AI models, enabling real-time interactions through keyboard and controller commands. Players can navigate environments, adjust viewpoints, jump, crouch, shoot weapons, and interact with environmental elements, notably exploding barrels, recreating familiar actions from the classic title.
Despite these achievements, the researchers openly acknowledged significant limitations. Visual clarity suffers, with enemies appearing indistinct, while gauges for health and damage sometimes yield unreliable readings. Most noticeably, the AI model struggles with object permanence—losing track of objects that remain out of visible range for approximately a second or more. Interestingly, the team noted this deficiency can create unexpected gameplay effects, such as spontaneously causing enemies to appear or vanish or even teleporting players across the level through rapid viewpoint adjustments.
Game designer Austin Walker shared a gameplay clip illustrating frustration with this approach, as he found himself repeatedly stuck in a dark corridor, replicating issues encountered by other players. Walker argued that such shortcomings highlight fundamental misunderstandings about game development and preservation. He stated that genuine gameplay experiences often rely upon carefully crafted mechanics, fine-tuned interactions, and the unique edge cases they generate. AI-generated approximations, he suggested, risk neglecting these nuanced elements that fundamentally shape gaming experiences.
Microsoft, meanwhile, positioned the demo not as a finished or polished gaming product but rather as a research exploration designed to illustrate potential—and ongoing challenges—in the rapidly evolving intersection between AI and interactive entertainment.
