Seven of the US military’s most elite warriors have been disciplined for allegedly leaking secrets during the development of EA’s Medal of Honor: Warfighter.
EA has long trumpeted the fact that Warfighter was co-developed with participation from active duty Navy SEALs. Technically, it’s not against the rules to consult outside the military on projects such as video games, movies or books.
However, sharing secret information is certainly grounds for reprimand. All seven SEALs are members or former members of Seal Team Six and still on active duty.
The game doesn’t claim to re-create actual Navy seal missions, but the missions are said to be ultra-realistic. While we don’t know exactly what secrets are shared, we can assume that some of the digital missions in the video game hit a little too close to home for cautious Navy commanders.
CBS News reports that the SEALs who consulted with the game were in possession of classified material that had been given to them by the Navy.
All seven men received letters of reprimand, which apparently eliminates chances for promotion within the military. The men were also punished by having half of their pay taken away for two months. Interestingly, one of the SEALs is said to have been involved in the raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.
