This film has been percolating since 2003. What started out years ago as science fiction is now science fact, as bleeding edge video games and high-stakes cyber-warfare have become mainstream news.
The story begins just days after American game developers release 4G War, a hyper- realistic military simulator that links millions of players from around the world in a series of massive virtual battles with million dollar prizes. Each tournament takes place in a high-profile conflict zone – from the desserts of North Africa to the mountains of Pakistan to the slums of Rio de Janiero – and is meticulously rendered in every conceivable way.
As these virtual warriors compete and collaborate online, their movements and tactics have instantly become the largest database of military strategy in history. Untrained in conventional warfare, their simulated battles challenge centuries of military wisdom and provide the U.S. with tactical insights on modern insurgent warfare – what works, what doesn’t and why. For its enemies, this type of intelligence could make terrorism more effective and armed resistance more accessible.
Covering the game’s record-breaking launch, a young journalist stumbles onto a sinister plot to hack into 4GW’s fortified servers, steal this tactical combat data, and auction it off on the black market to groups with deep pockets and dark agendas. As she pieces together clues surrounding a series of recent cyberattacks, she is drawn into a world-wide race to control the data before it falls into the wrong hands…