Military shooter games are, as of 2024, the most popular genre of video game. While their role as quick entertainment makes their political plot points seem harmless, these games’ narrative choices and game mechanics do act as a form of propagandistic rhetoric. Game developers, such as Call of Duty’s developers Infinity Ward, often collaborate with the US military to portray an “accurate” portrait of warfare. This presentation will explore how military violence is portrayed in games such as Call of Duty, and how these biased portrayals of violence, as well as their gamification, leak out into our widespread perception and opinions surrounding military and police violence.

Mariane (Mari) is a student at Université de Moncton and is currently obtaining their bachelor's in secondary education with a major in English and a minor in visual arts. They are interested in library sciences, contemporary Acadian music, and the multitudes of ways that technology affects our culture and society.