Yeah I get your point … being matched against AI is essentailly a free win - in RANKED.
But you and I will only be facing them for the first 10-20 min of the season, so it wouldn’t matter to me at all. And I dont mind giving 1k rating for free to new players, if that makes them willing to try the bracket! You allready never lose rating below 1k, so it wouldn’t matter much anyhow.
Is it a free handout? yes!
Is that an issue? I don’t see why. It’s not like getting to the top of the ladder will be any easier.
Will it bring new players into arena? Certainly!