Venezuelan Forces Are Training For War Using Cheap Video Games

Venezuelan cadets are training on arcade-style drone simulators that appear to rely on a commercial video game costing about €4 ($3.99), according to reports by The Objective and Business Insider.

The tools are being promoted by the country's military academy as broader reporting indicates the armed forces face equipment shortages, low pay, and limited combat readiness. Related footage released by state-linked accounts shows cadets in dress uniforms at the Military Academy of the Bolivarian Army operating machines resembling 1990s arcade cabinets. The stations include joysticks, trackballs, and flat screens.

The training footage comes amid heightened tensions with Washington as the United States continues to increase its military presence in the Caribbean. U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly suggested the possibility of operations inside Venezuela, saying "the land is going to be next" after a series of U.S. strikes on vessels it claimed were involved in drug trafficking, killing at least 70 people.

In one video, Venezuelan Army commander General Johan Hernández Láre said the cadets were "ready to destroy the enemy," before operators navigate virtual drones toward targets in simple terrain. According to The Objective, the simulator does not reproduce conditions found in Venezuela's varied geography, and its features resemble a basic gaming environment rather than a military platform.

Business Insider reported that the simulator strongly resemble "FPV Kamikaze Drone," a video game sold on Steam and developed by HFM Games, reaching that conclusion by analyzing interface elements, graphics, and mission design shown in the footage match the commercial game.

In fact, Business Insider interviewed HFM Games cofounder Aleksei Kolotilov who had to clarify that the company had "never been in contact or coordinated with the Venezuelan military or any government body" and that the software was created "solely for civilian use and entertainment purposes." He added that the studio had made no modifications for training.

The game allows users to pilot a first-person-view drone through obstacles and toward static targets. While similar programs are used by other countries to familiarize recruits with drone controls, training typically expands to live exercises. It remains unclear whether the Venezuelan armed forces have additional training beyond the simulators.

The reliance on inexpensive software comes against a backdrop of degraded military capacity, as Reuters reported Tuesday that Venezuelan equipment is largely decades old, including Russian-made helicopters, tanks, and shoulder-fired missiles. A defense source told the news site that Venezuelan Sukhoi fighters are "nothing" compared with U.S. aircraft. The military's standard monthly salary is roughly $100, far below basic living costs.