War Games: MoD asks soldiers with 1337 skillz to compete in esports
The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) is doubling down on its endorsement of esports by tasking the British Esports Federation to establish a new tournament to upskill existing servicepeople in the digital skirmishes.
After officially recognizing esports as a military sport last year, the MoD believes it can improve cyber understanding and digital literacy through video games, which are played across the armed forces already.
The Royal Navy, for example, installed an esports facility aboard the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier earlier this month, and similarly to how football and rugby are used to build teamwork, "serious video games" are regarded as effective ways to prepare for "21st century challenges."
"Esports and serious games can contribute to our warfighting readiness," said Lieutenant General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes KCB CBE, Deputy Commander UK Strategic Command - a key figure in the MoD's adoption of esports.
"As competition and conflict increasingly play out in cyberspace and the digital arena, these games equip our people to think, operate, and innovate across both the physical and virtual worlds, developing team coordination and rapid decision-making under pressure.
