[Updated] Fortnite Used As A Recruitment Tool By British Army

Update 18:50 GMT:Epic Games responded to TheGamer, clarifying that the British Army’s Fortnite creation is still “undergoing moderation”. It did not comment on whether Epic knew the Army planned to use Fortnite in this way. The studio’s statement has been included below.

The British military is usingFortniteCreative as a recruitment tool, seemingly in a bid to appeal to younger audiences. The army plans to livestream the private map, Operation: Belong, next week.

Operation: Belong seems to be set out like military training grounds, encouraging players to hone their skills. It will be streamed from the British army’s Twitch channel, but it’s far from the first time a military has tried to recruit from the gaming community. The US Army started usingTwitchto try and reach younger audiences in 2020, and theCall of Dutyseries has long faced criticism for whitewashing the military.

Likewise, the UK Army’s use of video games as a recruitment tool is also coming under fire, labelled predatory by many in the community. This is especially concerning in the case of Fortnite since it largely appeals to children.

The Twitter account for the army is hiding many of the critical replies, including one that references the killing of civilians committed by the British military in Bloody Sunday (1972). Other hidden replies question the morality, or even the legality, of using Fortnite in this way.

“Is your marketing department sick in the head?,” says Twitter account @judgementalhog. “Do you know the demographic of Fortnite? You are recruiting CHILDREN.”

“Morally this seems all kinds of weird…..”, reads a similar reply from user @thebigjonse. The UK Army’s account seems to have since abandoned all moderation, as the replies flood with criticism for the ad campaign, and others trying to alert Epic Games to the event before it takes place.

In response to TheGamer, a spokesperson for Epic Games said: “This island has not yet been published to Fortnite (IE it is not accessible to players) and is undergoing moderation, as does all content in the Fortnite Ecosystem, and must adhere to our Content Guidelines and Creator Rules.”

When asked if Epic had any prior knowledge that the British Army was going to use Fortnite in this way, they responded, “We do not comment on individual creators or content that are in moderation.”