It seems that Epic Games' popular battle royale shooter is getting an equally epic treatment from the U.S. Army. "Fortnite" is apparently being considered by the U.S. Army as potentially integral to their recruitment drives.
Video games have long been an important part of the U.S. Army's strategy to increase enlistment. But the U.S. Army is not just looking at "Fortnite" as a simple recruitment tool the way "America's Army" was marketed. It seems the organization has considered the importance of not just providing the youth with a video game themed around army life, but showing them how U.S. Army personnel also enjoy video games.
According to Polygon (via Stars and Stripes), the U.S. Army is looking into creating its own Army esports team and is currently accepting applications from active, reservist and veteran personnel. "Fortnite" is included as one of the options that applicants to the esports team can apply for. Included in the list of video games that the U.S. Army is considering for its esports team are "Call of Duty," "Tekken," "Overwatch," and "League of Legends."
The Next Web covers the story about how a representative of the U.S. Army, recently held an AMA on Reddit that focused on the organization's drive to use games like "Fortnite" to promote visibility. According to U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Meaux, the organization's esports teams are not directly recruiters but more of role models that can supposedly bridge the gap between how civilians currently view the U.S. Army.
In another interview with Army Amuse, Staff Sergeant Meaux mentions that the U.S. Army's decision to use esport games such as "Fortnite" also hopes to have positive effects on its recruitment rates and the U.S. Army's public image. For those wondering how exactly the U.S. Army hopes to use their new esports team for their desired purpose, Staff Sergeant Meaux gladly explains during the interview.
According to Staff Sergeant Meaux, the U.S. Army is planning to field and Army esports caravan that will be touring American campuses. The U.S. Army esports team will be competing with college esports teams on games like "Fortnite" through the Army esports trailer. The college "Fortnite" teams will specifically use the esports trailer to compete remote against the U.S. Army esports teams who will be based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The U.S. Army's decision to develop its own esports team comes at a time when the organization has been missing its recruitment targets. How exactly "Fortnite" and other esports games will affect the U.S. Army's recruitment rate after they deploy their esports caravan has yet to be seen.
