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| Pentagon ran Call of Duty recruitment drive – media | |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| Internal documents reportedly show the US Army used the gaming brand to attract women and ethnic minorities | |
| Struggling to entice new recruits, the US Army was prepared to spend millions of dollars on e-sports tournaments, sponsorships of popular Call of Duty streamers and other online gaming events, according to internal documents obtained by VICE’s Motherboard. | |
| The sponsorships never came to fruition in many cases, as the military called off its spending after Call of Duty’s publisher Activision faced sexual harrassment complaints last year. | The sponsorships never came to fruition in many cases, as the military called off its spending after Call of Duty’s publisher Activision faced sexual harrassment complaints last year. |
| One document instructs the Army to “focus on the growth of females, Black & Hispanics.” The documents were obtained by Motherboard through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. | One document instructs the Army to “focus on the growth of females, Black & Hispanics.” The documents were obtained by Motherboard through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. |
| Among the events it wanted to sponsor was the Twitch platform’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Esports League. The Army planned to spend $1 million on that event. | Among the events it wanted to sponsor was the Twitch platform’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Esports League. The Army planned to spend $1 million on that event. |
| Call of Duty was seen as a “potentially useful branding and recruiting tool,” Motherboard explained. | Call of Duty was seen as a “potentially useful branding and recruiting tool,” Motherboard explained. |
| The documents proposed that Twitch influencers could “create original content videos showcasing the wide range of skillsets offered by the Army,” as well as familiarizing gamers with “Army values.” | The documents proposed that Twitch influencers could “create original content videos showcasing the wide range of skillsets offered by the Army,” as well as familiarizing gamers with “Army values.” |
| The military wanted to spend $750,000 on the official Call of Duty League Esports and on the streaming service Paramount+, as well as $200,000 sponsoring the mobile version of the game. The documents suggested players who viewed Army ads would receive in-game currency. Popular streamer Stonemountain64, with an audience of more than 2.3 million, was also in line to be sponsored for $150,000. | The military wanted to spend $750,000 on the official Call of Duty League Esports and on the streaming service Paramount+, as well as $200,000 sponsoring the mobile version of the game. The documents suggested players who viewed Army ads would receive in-game currency. Popular streamer Stonemountain64, with an audience of more than 2.3 million, was also in line to be sponsored for $150,000. |
| The Army decided to “pause all activities” with Activision after accusations of sexual harrassment emerged in August 2021. Neither Activision nor the US Army provided Motherboard with a comment. | The Army decided to “pause all activities” with Activision after accusations of sexual harrassment emerged in August 2021. Neither Activision nor the US Army provided Motherboard with a comment. |
| The Pentagon has been struggling to recruit Gen-Z, with Covid-19 restrictions and “shifting perceptions of the military” among the reasons, the outlet said. High standards around physical health, tattoos and past drug use are also putting some off, it said. | The Pentagon has been struggling to recruit Gen-Z, with Covid-19 restrictions and “shifting perceptions of the military” among the reasons, the outlet said. High standards around physical health, tattoos and past drug use are also putting some off, it said. |
| In June, NBC reported that every branch of the US military is behind in its recruitment targets for 2022. The outlet cited an internal Defense Department survey which found just 9% of eligible citizens aged 17 to 24 have any intention to serve in the armed forces, the lowest number since 2007. | In June, NBC reported that every branch of the US military is behind in its recruitment targets for 2022. The outlet cited an internal Defense Department survey which found just 9% of eligible citizens aged 17 to 24 have any intention to serve in the armed forces, the lowest number since 2007. |