Germany's Military Courts Young Gamers at Gamescom Amid Recruitment Push

Cologne's Gamescom, the world's largest video game trade show, draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year—last year, two-thirds of its non-industry attendees were male, with more than 40 percent between 16 and 25 years old. For a decade, Germany's Bundeswehr has set up a booth in the exhibition halls, and this year, running August 26 through 30, the military presence is more elaborate than ever. An olive-green Caracal off-road vehicle sits prominently on display. Nearby, visitors can try their hand at simulated hacking under supervision at stations run by the Bundeswehr's Center for Cyber Operations. VR headsets offer glimpses into life aboard naval vessels, with pilots, aircraft mechanics, and air traffic controllers presenting their work in three-dimensional space. Mountain infantry soldiers stand beside a pull-up bar, inviting visitors to test their strength. New this year is a career lounge where the Bundeswehr conducts what it calls career counseling sessions—soldiers answering questions in a relaxed atmosphere, without pressure, to young people who came primarily to have fun and play games.

The timing of this recruitment push is deliberate. Germany's military aims to reach 260,000 active-duty soldiers by 2035, a significant expansion. The German government has committed hundreds of billions of euros to modernizing the armed forces as defense has become a priority in response to current global security conditions. The Bundeswehr's strategy reflects a recognition that it needs people comfortable with technology, and gaming culture reaches precisely that demographic.

Lieutenant General Robert Sieger, president of the Federal Office for Bundeswehr Personnel Management, frames the Gamescom presence as educational outreach rather than aggressive recruitment. "We need people who are comfortable with technology," he told Deutsche Welle. But he is careful to draw a line: the military is not looking for people who think warfare resembles an ego shooter or shooting game. "War isn't a game," Sieger said. "As a soldier and a general, it is important to me that people understand the seriousness of what we do." For Sieger, the booth serves a broader purpose—showing what it means to stand up for the country's freedom, whether as a soldier or civilian employee. The Bundeswehr, he argues, is an integral part of society's safety net and must be visibly present within it.

A representative study by Germany's Bitkom digital association found that one in five people believed video and computer games teach skills useful in wartime, such as reaction speed and problem-solving. Yet the research also suggests that being a skilled gamer does not automatically translate to being a good soldier. The Bundeswehr's presence at Gamescom sits alongside other employers in the Job Area—Germany's federal police, the retailer Edeka, and software company DATEV—positioning military service as one career option among many.

Not everyone welcomes the military's presence at a gaming trade show. The German Peace Society—United War Resisters has criticized the Bundeswehr booth, along with displays by Germany's foreign intelligence service and defense contractors like Airbus and Rheinmetall. Peace campaigner Marius Pletsch argues that the Bundeswehr uses slogans designed to appeal to gamers' sense of adventure, distorting what military service actually entails. "We think it's wrong to lure young people to the booth by appealing to their sense of adventure," Pletsch told DW. "We don't think the Bundeswehr should be represented at a trade show that is primarily about video games and leisure to boost its personnel numbers." For two days during Gamescom, the peace organization will operate a booth outside the exhibition halls, offering information about conscientious objection to military service.

Both sides invoke similar language—that being a soldier is not a normal job—but reach opposite conclusions. The peace initiative sees this as reason to keep military recruitment away from gaming spaces. Sieger sees it as reason the Bundeswehr must be present: an organization responsible for national security cannot remain separate from society. "It would be downright negligent," he said, "not to be an inherent part of society."

Among young Gamescom visitors, reactions are mixed. Dennis, a 22-year-old computer science student, called the Bundeswehr's presence "morally questionable, but a good employer," though he said military service was not for him. Dominik, 26, expressed approval of the military's representation at the trade show. "You can actually have a pretty good conversation with them," he said. "They're all very nice." He indicated he might consider applying to the Bundeswehr's cyber defense division. As Germany continues to prioritize defense spending and military modernization, the Bundeswehr's strategy of meeting young people where they already gather—at gaming events, in digital spaces—reflects a broader shift in how the armed forces see themselves: not as separate from civilian culture, but as woven into it.