99% Invisible – Hidden Levels #3: "This Game Wants YOU"
Released: October 14, 2025
Host: Roman Mars
Producer/Reporter: Caitlin Harrop
Guests: Ben Brock Johnson, Staff Sergeant Joseph Edwards, Captain Mimi Mejia, Casey Wardinski, TJ Boulter, Matthew Thomas Payne, Jonathan Hansing

Overview

This episode of the "Hidden Levels" series explores how the U.S. Army leveraged the world of video games—most notably through its own title, "America’s Army"—to influence, attract, and recruit new soldiers, particularly from the ranks of enthusiastic teen gamers. The show traces the historical roots of military recruitment tactics, the creation and impact of the "America's Army" video game, the military's expanded presence in esports, and the debate and backlash surrounding these strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Rise of Esports and Army Outreach

[02:14–05:29]

• The Army recognizes the massive, mostly young, and often male audience drawn to esports. Given ongoing recruitment struggles, the Army pivots to meet potential recruits where they are—gaming conventions and online.
• Staff Sergeant Joseph Edwards describes how Army esports teams interact with attendees, engage in casual competition, and segue conversations from games to Army life.

“We kind of start off the conversation with gaming and then if they're interested...that kind of opens it up to us being able to tell our army story...”
—Staff Sgt. Joseph Edwards [05:29]

• Army esports members are not official recruiters but are accompanied by recruiters at events, ready to speak with interested attendees.

"Planting a Seed": Engaging Young Audiences

[07:11–09:28]

• Outreach efforts target those under recruitment age, not for immediate enlistment but to familiarize them with the Army as a viable option—described as “planting a seed.”
• Captain Mimi Mejia, commander of Army Outreach Company, is candid about connecting with kids—even those younger than high school, since “those kids still play games too.”

“If a young kid sees a guy...wearing the US army logo and they continue to see that over their time in middle school and high school, then they might start to think about the army..."
—Captain Mimi Mejia [08:42]

Birth of "America’s Army": Gamer Recruitment by Design

[11:33–18:59]

• Facing persistent recruiting problems in the late 1990s, Army economist Casey Wardinski pitches the idea of meeting teens virtually—through games.
• Inspired by his own sons’ interest in shooter games, Wardinski conceives a first-person shooter reflecting real Army values, structure, and skills, not just fantasy combat.

“The best way...for the army to talk to young adults about being a soldier is virtually.”
—Casey Wardinski [13:16]

• The game is crafted to be both realistic (based on real Army training) and values-centric: “If that wasn’t interesting to you, we probably weren’t that interested in you and you probably weren’t that interested in us.”

—Casey Wardinski [16:50]

Engineering Recruitment through Gameplay

[15:15–18:59]

• Players must complete Army-inspired training modules before entering battlefield scenarios—marksmanship, first aid, and more.
• The game encodes real consequences for in-game choices, like whether a player “cheated” during medic training—a fact that may affect later gameplay and is revealed to teammates.

“If you cheated on the test to pass the medical training, Wardinski says it could come back to haunt you in a firefight...”
—Narration [26:19]

The Impact and Influence on Young Gamers

[22:17–27:48]

• "America's Army" is deliberately rated “T for Teen” to expand its reach, making the Army experience available to kids as young as 13.
• TJ Boulter, who began playing at age 13, describes being deeply influenced. The game’s squad play, leadership, and training aspects motivated him to enlist after high school.

“It definitely influenced my decision to join...All of those things had a heavy influence on me wanting to do that.”
—TJ Boulter [27:27]

• "America’s Army" achieved over 42.5 million downloads, echoing Wardinski’s hopes for reach and influence.

Criticism and Controversy

[29:53–31:39]

• The game’s realism and recruitment framing spark criticism, especially during active U.S. war campaigns.
• Protest artist Joseph DeLap stages performance protests "Dead in Iraq" by typing names of real fallen soldiers into the game's chat.
• The ACLU accuses the Army of violating UN conventions protecting children from military recruitment, but public enthusiasm overshadows these concerns.

“It's a sign of desperation, I think, and it's obviously like incredibly disturbing, dystopian. It's horrifying.”
—Caitlin Harrop [37:58]

The Game Fades, The Strategy Shifts

[32:28–34:46]

• By the late 2000s, games like "Call of Duty" outshine America’s Army technologically and in popularity; the Army eventually retires its own title in 2022.
• Instead, the Army targets outreach via popular commercial titles, with recruiters attending game launches and former soldiers acting as consultants.

The Modern Esports Arena

[35:12–36:41]

• Army esports teams compete in mainstream games (from "Call of Duty" to "Rocket League"), prioritizing presence over proprietary development.
• The Army’s outreach focus is on tech-savvy, competitive young gamers, hailed as having desirable skills for the future battlefield.

“People who have skills in gaming can be beneficial to the army, especially with the way that we see the future of war going...So those types of skills...is really coming into play right now.”
—Captain Mimi Mejia [36:07]

New Tactics, New Backlash

[37:42–40:17]

• Army esports on platforms like Twitch draws fresh controversy: accusations of covert recruitment, links to sign-up forms meant for children, and bans of users raising critical questions.
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unsuccessfully attempts to legislate a ban on military recruitment on streaming platforms due to concerns regarding exposure to children.

Dissent and the Ethics of Recruitment

[40:17–41:52]

• Criticisms center on the one-sided portrayal of military service via these gaming channels, which Army veteran Jonathan Hansing and his group “Gamers for Peace" seek to challenge.

“You cannot do that if you are filling kids heads with an incorrect vision of what the military is.”
—Jonathan Hansing [41:23]

Legacy of "America’s Army"

[41:52–43:41]

• "America’s Army" still survives in fan communities, some now comprised of actual veterans. For original player Boulter, earning a special in-game icon as a real veteran was a milestone.

“If you were in the Navy, the Marines, the army, or something like that. You get a special icon in game that made you stand out... That’s one of the biggest things I wanted when I was growing up playing this game.”
—TJ Boulter [42:33]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “So I'm not going to go pro?”
  —Roman Mars [03:21]

• “If that wasn’t interesting to you, we probably weren’t that interested in you and you probably weren’t that interested in us.”
  —Casey Wardinski [16:50]

• “It was a huge day. I was really excited.”
  —TJ Boulter on getting his veteran’s icon in America’s Army [42:50]

• “It's a sign of desperation, I think, and it's obviously like incredibly disturbing, dystopian. It's horrifying.”
  —Caitlin Harrop on Army esports on Twitch [37:58]

• “You cannot do that if you are filling kids heads with an incorrect vision of what the military is.”
  —Jonathan Hansing [41:23]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Esports as Army Outreach [03:48–05:29]
• Planting the Recruitment Seed [07:11–09:28]
• Creation and Philosophy of "America's Army" [11:33–18:59]
• In-Game Consequences & Marketing [22:31–27:27]
• Backlash and Protest [29:53–31:39]
• From Proprietary Game to Esports Presence [32:28–37:42]
• Twitch Controversy and Legislative Pushback [37:42–40:17]
• Critique from Veterans and Activists [40:17–41:52]
• Lasting Community and Symbolism [41:52–43:41]

Tone and Style

The episode navigates between analytical, investigative, and conversational, with doses of skepticism, humor, and moments of critique. Roman Mars and the producers maintain curiosity and engagement, always linking design choices to larger social, political, and ethical questions.

This episode provides a detailed, nuanced look at how the military adapts to new media to shape opinion and recruit the next generation—and how those efforts intersect with wider debates about ethics, transparency, and the power of design in shaping our lives.