The UK Royal Navy, as part of a partnership with the British Esports Federation, has constructed a first-of-its-kind “esports suite” onboard an active Navy warship. The HMS Prince of Wales’ esports office contains eight Alienware PCs loaded to the teeth with RTX 4080s, a console gaming station, and enough LEDs to make a college dorm room blush.
The UK’s Royal Navy has recognized esports as a “military sport” since March 2024, encouraging involvement in it for both seamen and civilians. While many other active warships have included room for console gaming on Xboxes, Playstations, and Nintendo Switches, the Prince of Wales is the first UK warship to include PC gaming setups onboard at this scale.
Chief Petty Officer Martin Miller, the vice-chairman of the Royal Navy’s esports committee, oversees the suite and participates in solo gaming sessions on Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. The Royal Navy officially sponsors the suite, supplying it with 12 total Alienware Aurora towers, peripherals, and all other parts of the assembly. Miller says future expansion plans include making space for the current surplus of Alienware towers onboard, as well as an “impossible” goal of making space for a simulation racing rig.
The suite’s red versus blue color scheme and layout facilitate team-based gaming sessions on local games, including Halo, Team Fortress 2and Counter-Strike. Online multiplayer is not an option when the ship is at sea, meaning LAN parties on the high seas are common. Leaders onboard reserve the suite for official use for their teams around three times a week, according to Miller.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence for this,” said Chester King, President of British Esports. “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.”
The HMS Prince of Wales also includes other perks for its crewmen, like inflatable swimming pools, a golf simulator, and karaoke. The Royal Navy has been actively recruiting young people through video games for years, specifically seeking out talented FPS players for enlistment. This and other perks are significant components of the military’s recruitment drive as global tensions escalate and major Western militaries seek recruits.
In a modern day where gamers are met with disappointments like the massive flop of the new MindsEye game and major anti-consumer moves from Nintendo, it sometimes makes one wish for a return to the days of LAN parties on Halo and Tf2. And for the low price of enlistment in the UK Navy, now those days can come back.
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