New Call of Duty: VA Edition immerses gamers in struggle to attain 100% disability
Critics laud the realism of the latest franchise installment
Clay Beyersdorfer
November 10, 2023
Choose your player.
WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. - In its latest attempt to bring the most realistic military experience to the “Call of Duty” franchise, lead studio Infinity Ward has announced the release of its newest installment, Call of Duty: Veterans Affairs Edition.
The latest edition of what many consider the greatest video game franchise of all time will challenge players not with the usual multiplayer game modes, but with relentless battles against bureaucratic red tape, mishandled paperwork, and the “constant internal battle of just wanting to end it all.”
Game designer Todd Lexington hailed it as “a breakthrough in the military immersion experience.”
“We felt it was important to highlight the real post-combat struggles our military veterans face,” said Lexington. “In COD: VA, players can experience the adrenaline rush of waiting sixteen weeks for a routine doctor’s appointment, the meticulous challenge of deciphering VA jargon, and the nail-biting suspense of hoping to God their life-saving mail-order medications are not in any way delayed.”
According to Lexington, players must also grapple with surprise obstacles, including lost paperwork, unscheduled office closures, and a final boss who Lexington says is referred to internally as “The Big Green Weenie.”
While the game does feature some action sequences, most are reportedly metaphorical. For example, players can deploy the “Paperwork Grenade” to scatter documents in the VA office or call in an “Air Strike of LODs” to prove a service-related injury.
Reception of the VA edition has been mixed. While some applaud Infinity Ward’s attempt at raising awareness for military veterans, others who were given early access to the game feel it may hit too close to home.
“The game-play experience is spot on. Almost too spot on, if you ask me,” a veteran sitting in a VA parking lot told Duffel Blog. “There’s a mission where they just put you on hold for an hour in real-time, and for a minute it made me actually want to kill myself. I had to get up and take a walk I was having such severe flashbacks.”
The game will also reportedly feature in-game purchases, such as the “Fast Track Pass” for $9.99, which allows players to speed up their in-game disability claims by 1%, and a fire extinguisher for a mission Lexington teased “will come in very handy during the parking lot mission.”
Report for Casual Duty
The Duffel Blog Veteran hat is now on sale. Whether you're aiming for that sharp shooter style or just covering up the barracks cut gone wrong, this trucker cap has you covered—literally. This isn't just a hat, but a statement piece that says, "I've served, I've seen, and I survived enough to earn this cool headgear." Buy Now 🙋♂️