Did ‘Call of Duty’ Predict the U.S.–China Trade War in Uncanny Detail?

As tensions escalate in the ongoing trade war between the United States and China, former U.S. President Donald Trump has taken another aggressive step — raising tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%, a move he described as retaliation against what he called reckless behaviour from Beijing.

This escalation comes despite warnings from the World Trade Organization, which cautioned that U.S.–China trade volumes could decline by up to 80% if current tensions persist, potentially pushing the global economy toward further volatility.

China, in turn, responded not only with its own sanctions, but also with a bold decision to ban exports of rare earth minerals — critical resources for numerous American high-tech industries, including weapons, semiconductors, and green technologies.

But what’s remarkable is that this exact scenario — including the rare earth export ban and the trade-based conflict between the two superpowers — was predicted in stunning detail over a decade ago by a video game: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, released in 2012 — years before Trump even entered politics.

A Game That Looked Into the Future?

Black Ops 2 is unique within the Call of Duty franchise, offering two timelines: one set in the 1980s, focusing on Cold War tensions, and another set in the year 2025, where a futuristic conflict unfolds.

In the modern timeline, the story follows David Mason, son of the Cold War-era character Alex Mason, and thrusts players into a world of military technology, geopolitical instability, and rising U.S.–China hostilities.

In this fictional narrative, a trade war erupts when China bans rare earth exports to the United States — a plotline that eerily mirrors real-world developments in 2024.

Fiction Meets Reality: Trade War and Digital Conflict

The game envisions a near-future where China becomes a dominant global power opposing the U.S., and the trigger for escalation is a trade conflict over strategic resources — namely rare earth minerals, which are essential for electronics, AI systems, drone technologies, and smart weapons.

The storyline follows the unraveling of global stability after this trade war begins, with China’s move drastically disrupting America’s high-tech industries. Tensions further escalate when cyberattacks strike U.S. infrastructure — allegedly linked to China, although orchestrated behind the scenes by a third force.

This third force is led by a fictional antagonist, Raul Menendez, head of a populist global movement known as Cordis Die. His character orchestrates cyberwarfare between the U.S. and China, stoking tensions to ignite a global conflict.

Menendez manipulates both nations into a full-blown crisis, launching electronic warfare, hacking drone systems, and crippling digital defence networks — a concept that felt far-fetched in 2012, but is now chillingly close to reality given today’s advances in cyberwarfare and digital militarisation.

From Rivalry to Alliance — Or Further Collapse?

In the game’s narrative arc, even China becomes a victim of Cordis Die’s destabilising agenda. Eventually, Beijing and Washington are forced to consider collaborating against the common threat of global cyberwarfare.

This introduces a powerful dynamic: the player’s choices affect whether cooperation emerges, or whether the world spirals into deeper conflict. The outcome depends on in-game decisions — highlighting the consequences of leadership, escalation, and diplomacy.

This kind of storytelling — where global outcomes depend on player actions — was revolutionary for its time. But in the real world, there is no controller in hand, and warnings about the economic and political consequences of U.S.–China conflict continue to grow.

A Tech Cold War Becoming Real

What was once science fiction is increasingly becoming policy discussion. The game foresaw key elements of modern conflict:

• • Rare earths as a geopolitical weapon.

• • Cyberwarfare as a frontline tactic.

• • AI-powered weapons and drone hacks.

• • Trade as a trigger for military tension.

It reflects how global warfare is no longer just boots on the ground — it’s semiconductor shortages, AI races, and cyberattacks. The game’s vision, once futuristic, now reads like a rough draft of 2025’s global headlines.

Even the idea of a third party exploiting U.S.–China divisions aligns with current concerns over proxy warfare, disinformation campaigns, and state-sponsored hacking.

Digital War and Strategic Resources: A Warning from Fiction

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 doesn’t merely entertain — it unintentionally warns. As tensions in the real world mirror its narrative, the game acts as a cultural document forecasting how easily economic rivalry can transform into global crisis.

It underscores how national security, technological dominance, and resource control are now deeply intertwined. And as both China and the U.S. compete in AI, quantum computing, drone technology, and cyber warfare, their clash may well define the next decade.

While the game ends based on the player’s decisions, the real world offers no such luxury. The direction this economic and digital conflict takes now depends on diplomatic wisdom, restraint, and whether global powers are willing to see cooperation over confrontation.

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