World's first fully AI-powered reality show goes live and it's like the Hunger Games

Non Player Combat is a fully AI-powered game show, where each six of the characters 'autonomously' make their own decisions while they ruthlessly hunt eachother

12:06, 08 Dec 2025Updated 12:06, 08 Dec 2025

The show is streaming on YouTube(Image: Non player combat)

A dystopian AI reality TV show the first of its kind has just launched on YouTube today (December 8). Every contestant, decision and moment in Non Player Combat has been created entirely by artificial intelligence, with the outcome resembling something between Fortnite and the Hunger Games.

The show features six AI generated characters who lovingly hunt each other to death while on a virtual faraway island. Theres all the hallmarks of cliched dystopian sci-fi theres ripped and devilishly handsome Kai Chen who hunts fellow player Eliza Cole, peppering shots around her before it becomes clear he has chosen to toy with his prey.

Eliza herself is also impeccably beautiful. Faultless in fact, almost as if shes been created by AI. As if the modern era of sculpted humans who take part in reality TV shows arent quite perfect enough, now bots are stepping in to make damn certain you feel bad about yourself when you watch it.

[Kai]

Kai Chen is at one point seen 'hunting' Eliza (Image: Non player combat)

Tom Paton, Founder and CEO of AiMation Studios, the studio behind Non Player Combat, explained: It all means nothing unless you care about the players. If the audience doesn't fall in love with the characters, then it's pointless. Good luck falling in love with an AI bot oh wait

Paton added: Non Player Combat represents the emergent entertainment coming from AI, and is proof that it's already here!

Ahead of the shows release, Paton also made the argument that because Non Player Combat contestants arent performing for the camera in many ways they feel more genuine than your average human reality TV contestant.

And while yes, that may be the case for many Jack-The-Lad hulks that grace our screens via Love Island were in dangerous territory if we ever start saying AI is more genuine than reality. Because its just not: AI is anti-reality, by definition unable to achieve or realise human emotion.

[AI]

The game's creators think viewers won't care that it's AI(Image: Non player combat)

Paton describes the show as Naked & Afraid meets The Truman Show, not performed for an audience, but unfolding because the characters believe their lives depend on it.

Paton said: This particular audience is already OK with characters not being real. When they see the show and someone explains its not real, its AI, theyll say who cares?

Perhaps the CEO is right, which is the saddest part of all this. The younger generations growing up in this AI era will likely not be able to tell the difference between Non Player Combats characters and, say, Jennifer Lawrences in the Hunger Games.

Article continues below

And will they even care? Probably not.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.

[Google Preferred Source Badge]

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.