The LVL UP EXPO is the latest sports event sponsored by the US Army, and I’m shocked it’s still allowed to happen.

I just said we need more events like Evo, and I meant it. The fighting game esports scene has multi-themed events that bring the community together in a way that traditional esports titles haven’t. LVL UP EXPO just wrapped up over the weekend, another event that featured the FGC heavily, and there’s a lot of good about it.

But the sports community noticed one thing that made the celebration sad: it was sponsored by the US Army.

This is actually not a new argument at all. For years, gamers have argued that the US Army should not be allowed to sponsor esports events, teams, and organizations. Back when Cloud9 was sponsored by the US Air Force in 2020, which was also sponsoring ELEAGUE tournaments at the time, the esports scene started to explode. But the trend continued: KC pioneers partnered with the Army National Guard for many years, too Complexity is also funded by the US Army.

Having military related ads on the river, booths with military members at events, and plastering military logos and language on esports jerseys felt like a huge insult to the esports community. But there’s a reason we do it. It is clear that branches of the military see esports as a recruiting ground for young men. The esports demographic is perfect.

Back in 2020, the pro-military website We are the Mighty wrote an article about how “great” the US Air Force is getting involved in sports: “This means that the United States Air Force has seen the possibility of recruiting people to gain exposure to a new, emerging field.

This gives it legitimacy in the world of eSports. This means that a branch of the United States Armed Forces sees an opportunity to attract potential recruits outside of the crowd watching eSports events. All jokes about the Air Force aside, young, smart adults are the type of people the Air Force is targeting — and they’ve been looking at many different ways to meet recruiting numbers.

Since the Air Force has been pushing hard on cyber platforms, this partnership makes perfect sense. “

I won’t even comment on the use of “eSport” here. But you get the idea: The US Army wants to attract young, impressionable guys who might see it as a great opportunity to use their mechanical skills in real life instead.

I am not saying that I am for or against the military. This is not a comment that I like what the US military is currently involved in. I’m the one who says I don’t think the military should be allowed to sponsor sports organizations or events, regardless of my opinion of our military’s mission.

I’m not a person who likes to target a group of people involved in general, that’s why I would be against crypto, gambling, and other sponsors that might lead to life-changing decisions of stupid guys. But this is part of the general strategy of the military: targeting the poorest, young people who are looking for a way out, lured by the idea of ​​having a purpose, having money, maybe getting citizenship.

Reality in Recruiting’s Kate Connell told Teen Vogue that the US Army often brings veterans and virtual reality games to schools as part of their recruiting efforts. He explained: “Students participate in something related to the military, which honors the military, making it a kind of game.”

To be clear, the LVL UP EXPO is not for the US Army; it’s just that sponsored by the US Army. However, many people feel that taking money from the military to promote broadcasting is the same as attending an esports event sponsored by Saudi Arabian interests.

And with so many people in sports arenas protesting the growing presence of Saudi Arabia, they want people to have the same power at events sponsored by the US Army.

Others, however, feel that it is a “good sign” to care about the US Army’s involvement in the LVL UP EXPO. Many people forgive the LVL UP EXPO because it probably needed money. However, that may be why the Evo was also sold to a Saudi Arabian company. And this is why many esports organizations compete in the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup: the foundation behind them provides a huge check for any competing team.

In the end, it’s all about money because esports doesn’t have it. But is selling your followers for money the only answer? I’m not here to offer another way to make money as I’m not part of that decision making process for these events. However, I’m here to give my opinion, even if it doesn’t matter to everyone: The US military and other military-related organizations should not be in sports.

Sponsorship is by nature about persuading viewers. But convincing a teenager that he needs to sign up for Netflix is ​​nowhere near as bad and life-changing as convincing him that he should sign up for the US Army.