Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, a fan beloved classic for its gameplay, may now also be worth remembering due to the connections in its sci-fi plot and our reality. In the game’s version of 2025, “Cold War II” is well underway as technological advancement increases exponentially, creating national security vulnerabilities and a fearful world. In global politics, great power competition has ramped-up where countries return to brinkmanship, putting America and the world at eschatological risk. There are many story lines and concepts at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war that are unrealistic. Many futuristic technologies remain theoretical such as robot autonomous armored vehicles and invisibility. Not to mention, notable cameos and political forecasting which includes Retired US Army General David Patreaus as the Secretary of Defense who subtlety quips smack talk to a captured terrorist on the USS Barack Obama. Yet beyond these, there are three core concepts in the story that should eerily draw comparison to today.

The first is the “Strategic Defense Coalition” (SDC), a Chinese lead multilateral alliance hell-bent on global dominance, economic resource control and strategic competition with the West. Depending on the player’s critical choices throughout his or her missions, Russia, Iran, and even India may join Beijing’s alliance. SDC’s dominance results from Beijing’s mastery to persuade or coerce near-aboard countries such as North Korea, Pakistan, Burma (Myanmar), and Afghanistan as an inevitable super-power with all means necessary. China is not so much a stereotypical James Bond or Rocky film communist antagonist, rather an anti-Western geopolitical competitor with control over vital rare earth minerals and mercantilist wealth. A terrorist enabled hack of the Chinese stock market and subsequent crash leads Beijing to cut rare earth element exports with the US. The story reveals the terrorist is motivated to cause war between the US and NATO against China and the SDC, leading to a new world order.

In our reality, many are calling this era of international relations a New Cold War. Economically, China is the #1 trading partner with over 60% of all nations. Since the video game was made 12 years ago, China........

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