Get Your Butt Kicked in StarCraft 2 by an AI

If you keep up with the StarCraft 2 competitive scene, you’re probably aware – and terrified – of AlphaStar, the Google-designed AI that kicked a whole bunch of professional players' butts earlier this year. Seriously, it won 10-1, meaning that out of eleven matches played, it was only bested once, by Team Liquid’s Grzegorz "MaNa" Komincz.

But this wasn’t just a one-and-done deal. Google is still researching and improving AlphaStar, and as part of their next phase of testing, they’re making it possible for you – yes, you – to get absolutely humiliated by your AI opponents. Because for a very brief window, the AI will be anonymously competing in the European competitive ladder, trying to climb up the ranks like all the other wannabes out there.

"Having AlphaStar play anonymously helps ensure that it is a controlled test, so that the experimental versions of the agent experience gameplay as close to a normal 1v1 ladder match as possible. It also helps ensure all games are played under the same conditions from match to match. DeepMind will release the research results in a peer-reviewed scientific paper along with replays of AlphaStar's matches."

As stated before, the matches will all be anonymous, so no one will know when they’re facing off against the AI, although they do have to opt-in to the possibility of facing it. Since it’s trying to act like a normal person, a win or a loss against this AI will result in normal MMR changes, so don’t expect your miracle victory to shoot you into the pro ranks.

The AI will only play 1v1 matches as or against any of the three factions in the game. It won’t be able to see anything a player in its position would be unable to see using the normal in-game camera, and it’s actions per minute will be slower than it was during its January exhibition.

So good luck to everyone who wants to try.