The primary audience for eSports consists of young men in their teens and early 20s—a near-perfect match for the typical military recruit.
The HMS Prince of Wales is essentially a floating airbase, and is home to approximately 1,600 sailors, Royal Marines, and other military personnel. To keep the sailors able for duty and maintain morale, the Royal Navy flagship has multiple dining halls (or “messes”); numerous fitness facilities, including a boxing ring; and even a dedicated room for video games!
Sailors Like Video Games, Too!
The latter isn’t filled with old Pac-Man machines or racks of PlayStations and Xboxes. There are likely some video game consoles on the mess deck, where crew members can unwind when they’re not on duty. But the Prince of Wales’ gaming room is altogether different.
More accurately, the room is the warship’s “eSports suite.” It is outfitted with a dozen high-end Alienware Aurora R15 gaming desktop PCs, each powered by Intel Core i7 processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 graphics cards. The specialty gaming room was established as part of a previously formed partnership between the Royal Navy and the British eSports Federation, which sponsors competitive gaming events throughout the UK.
For the sailors on HMS Prince of Wales, the suite could help boost morale while the ship is embarked on its seven-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
Video Games Are a Valuable Military Recruitment Tool
The eSports business has experienced massive worldwide growth over the past 20 years—transforming from a niche hobby into a global network of leagues, professional competitions, and events that can draw thousands of spectators in person and millions more via television and streaming. The eSports industry was valued at more than $2.13 billion in 2024, and is currently projected to reach $7.46 billion by 2030.
At first blush, one might wonder what connects video games and the military. But the primary audience for eSports consists of young men in their teens and early 20s—a near-perfect match for the typical military recruit. In short, eSports competitions can be a valuable recruiting tool for the military. Video games can also serve functions within the military, notably through team-building exercises.
In March 2024, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) officially recognized eSports as a “military sport,” paving the way for HMS Prince of Wales to receive funding to build a specialized suite. The Royal Navy currently has more than 150 servicemembers engaged in official eSports activities.
The connection between gaming and the military has been seen outside the UK, too. The United States military has extensively utilized video games in its efforts to interest millennials and, more recently, Generation Z in military service. The US Air Force and US Army have even sent teams to professional competitions, a possibility that the UK has also explored.
“We’ve been working with the armed forces since 2019, and as part of our wider partnership with Dell, Intel and Alienware, British Esports has now been able to provide high-spec kit and equipment to this landmark esports facility,” said Chester King, president of British eSports, told reporters, per TechPowerUp.com.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence for this,” King added. “Gaming is becoming increasingly important to the military, as it offers many benefits such as fostering communication, leadership and strategic skills, and allows personnel to strengthen bonds, unwind and maintain positive mental health. We look forward to announcing more exciting partnerships soon.”
However, due to Internet connectivity issues—not to mention security concerns—the “teams” on the HMS Prince of Wales can’t take part in competitive matches even with other units in the UK’s military during this deployment. Instead, they engage on the local area network (LAN), playing titles such as Halo and Team Fortress 2 against other members of the ship’s crew. One must wonder if World of Warships is included.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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