Have you ever attempted to play Dark Souls? When facing a challenging boss, the last thing you want is for the chat to become a source of unsolicited advice. This phenomenon, often referred to as “backseating,” can be frustrating for streamers. Now, envision this chat transformed into an AI that can even interrupt in-game audio to provide guidance. Enter Razer’s innovative Project AVA.

Project AVA is dubbed an “AI esports coach,” serving as a virtual companion that observes your gameplay and offers strategic insights. This tool proves beneficial for both solo and multiplayer games, as demonstrated in trials involving Black Myth: Wukong and League of Legends.

During gameplay, AVA might suggest strategies for defeating a formidable boss, recommend optimal item builds, or keep tabs on the locations of your adversaries. It doesn’t constitute cheating; AVA simply analyzes your screen without access to any information beyond what you see. Its intent is to enhance your gameplay awareness. For example, in League, it could monitor your minimap to notify you of enemy positions or, when playing solo, alert you when a boss is about to engage in an attack, advising dodge timings and counterattack opportunities. AVA is also capable of addressing specific queries if you seek targeted advice.

At this point, Project AVA remains a conceptual innovation, but early impressions raise concerns regarding its direction. Engaging with a game’s challenges is a primary motivation for players, and unraveling the nuances of a boss’s attack patterns is an integral part of the excitement. Receiving immediate, AI-generated instructions might detract from the sense of achievement—risking players feeling spoiled rather than supported. There’s a potential downside—becoming overly reliant on AVA’s guidance could hinder personal skills, such as the ability to recognize attack animations or fully comprehend character equipment mechanics.

Moreover, the volume of AVA could be distracting. Without hands-on experience, concerns arise that it might disrupt concentration or interfere with the game’s own sound cues, which are often crucial for player navigation.

Then, there’s the question of the source of AVA’s recommendations. If it advises players on a boss fight in Black Myth: Wukong, one must ask: is the AI referencing a guide, gathering information from developers, or analyzing footage from various players? If it’s derived from guides, crediting those sources would be important. If it’s based on collective footage, where did that data originate? Depending on its methods, it could be more beneficial to rely on visual cues, such as the animations provided by the developers.

That said, the concept of receiving assistance at advanced stages of gameplay—like when mastering challenging levels or striving for high ranks—holds merit. Collaboration is key in gaming, and seeking guidance through articles and videos is common among gamers. One of AVA’s most compelling features might be its potential to customize advice based on the strategies of renowned esports players. An ideal scenario would feel akin to having a gaming legend like Faker offering you real-time insights.

However, there is the risk of losing the essence of gameplay. For instance, in Final Fantasy XIV, raid encounters often resemble intricately choreographed performances. If AVA preprograms each raid’s strategy and continuously instructs players during engagements, the question arises: where does personal enjoyment fit into this? Will players find themselves merely pressing buttons on cue, while the AI orchestrates the experience?