US Army Pushes PlayStation 5 Giveaway for Participants Who Reach Out to Recruiters: 'Next Level Propaganda'

The U.S. Army is appealing to young people on social media with a giveaway offering a PlayStation 5, but users responded with more suspicion than excitement.

In a post from its Southern California recruiting account on Instagram, the Army invited people aged 17 to 34 to text a recruiting number or scan a QR code to enter.

"No commitment necessary to enter," the post assures, though participants must provide personal information to recruiters.

The giveaway, slated to end July 21, sparked backlash across social media, with critics calling it blatant manipulation.

"This is absolutely diabolical," one user responded on Instagram. "This is some top tier propaganda," wrote one, with another writing, "Next level recruiting."

"Literally anything to try and get them to sign on the dotted line now lol," a commenter wrote. "Recruiting getting more desperate," another added, with someone else questioning, "What do u mean register😭."

"Is this an enlistment bribe?" guessed one, echoing rampant suspicion among the replies. "They tryna trick us man," a user warned. "This is how they farm for draft info," accused another. "Feds working 24/7."

Some asserted their unwillingness to fall for the technique with comments like, "Nobody's fooled by this," and "You ain't trickin' nobody."

Many interpreted the campaign as a sign of escalating global conflicts. "Oh we goin to war huh," asked one user, with another predicting, "We getting WW3 🥀🥀."

The wilting rose emoji was a popular choice among commenters. Another wrote, "Risking yo life for a ps5🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀." Even though the contest requires no commitment, dozens of replies mocked the idea of fighting in a war in exchange for a gaming console.

"Sign my life away for the 1/90000 chance to win a $500 console!!!"

"I'm NOT gonna fight for the wrong side of history for a PS5 bro," said one, with another declaring, "I'm not dying for Israel and a ps5."

"Not even a PS5 Pro," noted one comment, with another simply writing "Nah bro."

Others tried negotiating. "I want a hellcat," demanded more than one user, with another asking "Can I get it delivered in a tank?" At the other end of the spectrum, one reply said, "Y'all offering too much. Half of us would do it for a McChicken."

The Army has increasingly leaned on gaming and e-sports in recent years to reach potential recruits, including branded tournaments and gaming-themed giveaways. In 2023, the Army made headlines for failing to meet recruitment goals two years in a row, prompting changes to recruitment, including the creation of a specialized talent acquisition team and broadening recruitment campaigns to include younger targets.

In 2024, enlistments were up, with the Army exceeding its 55,000 recruit goal by 150. As of April 2025, the Army was at 116% of its year-to-date goal.

While critics question the ethics of targeting young people through gaming culture, the Army has defended such marketing as an innovative way to connect with a generation raised on video games.