GameSpot is the subject of scandal and outrage following some ill-advised (and swiftly deleted) tweets promoting the US National Guard. This is the most recent in a lengthy series of controversies surrounding the US military’s involvement in the world of video gaming; this ongoing issue recently saw the removal of the US Army’s official streaming channel from Twitch when it was revealed that the military was engaging in uncouth behaviors like banning users who spoke out about war crimes and offering fake giveaways to try to lure people in.

It’s no secret that the military in the US has a particular interest in video game players. Anyone who’s seen a military recruitment ad in America in recent years will be immediately and forcefully reminded of shooter games like Call of Duty, and that couldn’t be more intentional. It’s easy to get people excited for armed service if they think it’ll be just like their favorite video game. The military has dug its fingers even further into the gaming space by sponsoring eSports teams like the Chicago Huntsmen. This gamer-focused media presence is one that’s caused a lot of outrage among the general public, who condemn the army’s glorifying and idealizing the very real horrors of active duty.

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Unfortunately, that has not stopped the various branches of the US military from reaching out to grab impressionable young video gamers in new ways. Yesterday, GameSpot posted a tweet responding to some of the new announcements made at Gamescom 2020. The outlet sought input on the exciting new reveals from none other than Staff Sergeant Murray of the National Guard. In order to really drive home the point, GameSpot added a follow-up message directing viewers to the official website for National Guard eSports, which, predictably enough, features a large and prominent recruitment form. The outrage was immediate and powerful, and GameSpot pulled both tweets less than an hour after they were posted, but not before gamers and members of the press responded, calling out the site for its ill-conceived promotion.

There’s no reason to believe that Staff Sergeant Murray isn’t genuinely excited by the Gamescom news. But, as many critics have pointed out on Twitter, video game coverage like this can reach a very young audience who’s at risk of signing up for a military organization like the National Guard without fully understanding the massive risks and danger involved. It’s the same problem as the military’s video gamey ads; it makes military service look like a fun game when, for most soldiers, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

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What whoever was in charge of the decision at GameSpot did is horrendous for a lot of reasons, and the outcry on Twitter is certainly deserved. As some on Twitter have pointed out, it not only sends a dangerous message, but also actively undermines the work of the staff there, most of whom were also caught off guard by the ad. Anger at the company is understandable and warranted, but if it’s channeled in the wrong direction, it could bring more harm than good. Clearly, GameSpot got the message, since it pulled the Tweets so quickly. Hopefully it’ll be more responsible in the future.

Source: Austin Walker/Twitter, Brendan Routh/Twitter

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Peter Morics
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Peter has been playing video games ever since he was a child, pulling his chair up to the TV so he could hold the GameCube controller for Wind Waker. Video games have been a vital part of his life ever since. They’ve been an important piece of his academic career as well; at the University of Redlands, where he studied Creative Writing and Theater, he once submitted a philosophy paper on the video game Soma. Today, in addition to his freelance work for Screen Rant, Peter spends most of his time blogging, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and, of course, playing video games. He believes that video games are an important and oft overlooked medium for telling stories, as well as an excellent medium for having fun. His favorite video game is still Wind Waker, the one that started it all, and he credits the fun he had with that game as the reason he’s here writing for Screen Rant today.

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