Video games aren’t just entertainment anymore. For Russia, they’ve become spaces to observe, shape, influence—and even recruit—particularly younger audiences in Africa.
Image: Screenshot from African Dawn mod for Hearts of Iron IV
Since 2022, Russia has recruited 18,000+ foreign nationals from 128 countries through social media, messengers, Discord and gaming communities.
Image: Screenshot from Arma 3 mod “2035: Russian Armed Forces”
The process is gradual. Players are observed—not for wins, but for how they think, react, and take risks. The most responsive are singled out.
Image: Screenshot from East Showdown mod for Hearts of Iron IV
Then comes contact. Russia promises money, citizenship, education, and a narrative of “heroic participation.”
Image: Screenshot from East Showdown mod for Hearts of Iron IV
In 2024, two young South Africans were recruited on Discord while playing Arma 3. Promised money, citizenship, and education, they signed contracts with the Russian military. One was killed weeks later in the Luhansk region.
Image: Screenshot from Arma 3