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The United Kingdom announces the first international esports contest for active military personnel in 2026, stating that this will improve cybersecurity skills needed for modern warfare.
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The nation launched this move following the discovery of an esports-style drone-attack rewards system used by the Ukrainian military during combat and training.
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According to a report by The Guardian, drone teams contesting for game points have killed more than 18,000 Russian soldiers in September 2025.
In recent developments surrounding the cybersecurity space, the United Kingdom has just announced that it will host the foremost esports military contest. According to a recent press release, authorities said that this competition will enable allied countries to improve their cyber skills that are crucial for modern warfare.
The UK to Deploy an International eSports Contest for Military Personnel
A release statement from the office of the Ministry of Defence disclosed that in 2026, military personnel from more than 40 allied countries will compete to enhance their digital combat skills via gaming.
Notably, future cyber warriors will advance online combat skills through their latest campaign, dubbed the International Defence Esports Games (IDEG).
The UK’s Minister for Veterans and People, Louise Sandher-Jones, commented on the development, saying that the nation is learning from the combat examples shown by Ukraine’s military.
It is worth stating that there are more than 90,000 cybersecurity breaches targeting the United Kingdom each year, including major threats to its economic security, like the recent flooding of dark web markets with logins from the UK’s biggest companies. This threat was also vividly illustrated by the recent flooding of dark web markets with stolen data from the UK’s biggest companies, a crisis highlighted by our previous report, which found 1,800 stolen UK bank cards for sale online.
UK officials believe this will not only bolster the military but also national security.
Ukraine’s Newly Implemented Combat System
UK officials draw reference from the Ukrainian soldiers’ newly implemented combat system, noting that military personnel can benefit from it. They believe that officers can rapidly learn skills like directing soldiers on the battlefield, tracking various enemies at once, and changing techniques given the live intelligence.
The Ukrainian military has been able to successfully train drone operators and establish quick decision-making skills crucial for modern warfare.
The development comes as the border between real-life modern warfare and esports may be getting slimmer. Earlier this year, The Guardian reported that the Ukrainian military uses an online, sports-style drone attack rewards system that extends across various parts of the military. Furthermore, Ukraine has been using online drone simulators during training sessions.
The unique system, which was deployed over one year ago, rewards military units with game points for successful drone strikes. Notably, Ukrainian soldiers have been able to exchange these points for additional weapons, just like in video games. Soldiers do these exchanges on the online shopping platform called Brave1, which is packed with over 100 unique drones, drone warfare material, and autonomous vehicles.
According to the Guardian’s report, in September 2025, Ukrainian drone teams had killed over 18,000 Russian soldiers, while contesting for points. The Ukrainian military calls the system the “Army of Drones Bones System,” and teams named Phoenix and Achilles recently topped the leaderboard.
Ukrainian officials stated that around 400 drone teams took part in the competition in September, which is a dramatic increase from 95 teams in August.
Similarly, notable VR and AR entrepreneurs, Oculus Virtual Reality entrepreneur Palmer Luckey, have agreed to build improved technology for the military in the United States.
