Do you still remember that a few years ago, the U.S. Army established an e-sports team to be closer to young people, but after trying live broadcasts, they were quickly excluded from the Twitch platform - not once, but twice? You may have thought that this was the end of the matter, and to a certain extent it is true: the U.S. Army e-sports team has not broadcast live on Twitch since 2022.But the recruitment channel "from the game battlefield to the real battlefield" is still active, and now a new initiative launched in the UK intends to go further on this road than before.
The British Ministry of Defense today announced the launch of the International Defense Esports Games (IDEG).The official website of the competition states that this is an e-sports event that "builds a bridge between national defense readiness and the fast-paced e-sports world."This is not much different from setting up a recruiting booth at a large e-sports event, except this time the goal is more straightforward than ever seen: using games to recruit young people.
This is particularly evident in the “IDEG26 Launch Event”.The one-day event, jointly organized by arms manufacturer BAE Systems, defense company Babcock International Group, the British Military Broadcasting Service and the British Esports Association, promises to invite the military and gaming industry figures to engage in "high-level dialogue". Topics include "Esports as a catalyst for recruitment, training and skills development", and there will also be a panel discussion on "How esports shapes the future of recruitment, skills development and training".
The British Ministry of Defense said in a press release: "The International Defense Esports Competition provides a collaborative platform for allies to help improve cyber skills vital to modern warfare. The UK faces more than 90,000 cyber attacks every year, and this initiative will develop the digital skills needed to keep the UK safe at home and abroad."
Those skills include "tracking multiple threats simultaneously, commanding soldiers on the ground, executing missions in high-pressure environments, and adjusting tactics based on real-time intelligence," the statement said.The announcement also notes that the game's skills apply to drone combat - which has grown in importance significantly in recent years.
"Experience from the battlefield shows that gaming technology can be used to train drone operators and develop the rapid decision-making skills required in modern warfare," Veterans and Personnel Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said. "IDEG puts the UK at the forefront of this change and ensures our armed forces are ready for future conflicts."
There's nothing inherently wrong with these statements, but it reminds me of the absolute bullshit I told my parents when I was a kid—that video games improve hand-eye coordination, and that they were said in all seriousness to be an unquestionable good thing for young people like me.This may not necessarily be a complete lie or deceit (well, at least in my case it might be a bit), but it actually has nothing to do with the core issue.
The competition format and participating parties have not yet been announced, but the final is expected to be held in October 2026 at the National Gaming and Esports Arena in Sunderland (the venue has not yet been built), and the event will be broadcast live.
