Call of Duty Vanguard is taking players back to World War II again, and with the advancements in video game graphics technology and the engine Vanguard runs on, it’s one of the the most realistic looks at the war we’ve ever had in gaming. To highlight what they call the “epic intimacy of World War II,” they sent two longtime war photojournalists into Vanguard’s war scenes. Using a special camera screen, they were able to explore the environment as if they were embedded right alongside the troops in WWII.
War photojournalists Alex Potter and Sebastiano Tomada Piccolmini both have experience in modern-day combat, capturing combat scenarios from multiple conflicts in the Middle East. Both were able to venture back to World War II via a camera screen portal on a motion capture soundstage, which allowed them to explore Sledgehammer’s version of World War II via the Vanguard game engine. You can watch the process in the short video below:
Both photographers expressed how fascinating it was to be able to capture images from World War II via a video game engine. “These were situations that I would normally capture,” said Alex Potter. “I was impressed with how kinetic and immersive it all was,” added Sebastiano Tomada Piccolmini. “As photographers, this is what conflict looks like.”
Limited edition 30×15 prints of the in-game photographs from both photographers is now available at www.bleeckertrading.com. All proceeds from the sales of these prints will go to the Call of Duty Endowment, which seeks to place veterans returning to civilian life in high-quality jobs. There are four photos, each limited to 25 prints. 20 of those run $515, which is the exact price it takes for the Call of Duty Endowment to place just one veteran into a job. The other 5 prints are signed and framed artist proofs, that run double at $1,030.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is set to launch next month on November 5th.
