Tournament Tests AI Agents in Real Situations, Not Just Quizzes

OpenRouter staged a 30-game tournament with eleven AI systems in June 2026, spending $482 to measure how they perform when competing and adapting over time. Traditional tests ask single questions; this one puts agents under sustained pressure, requiring them to think, adjust strategy, and survive multiple rounds. The $16-per-game cost transparency lets companies reproduce the test when building their own AI systems.