10 Video Games That Predicted the FUTURE

10 Video Games That Predicted the Future

Welcome to MojoPlays, and we all know art imitates life, but how often is it the other way around? Believe it or not, video games have predicted future world events and shifts in culture years or even decades before they become real.

“Smash TV” (1990)

It’s hard to believe these days, but there was a time when the closest thing we had to reality TV was the endless number of game shows clogging up the airways on the weekends. However, one game could see the writing on the wall as early as 1990. Borrowing heavily from the likes of “Running Man,” “Smash TV” was set in the distant future of 1999, presenting players with a series of different arenas to battle enemies and bosses while the crowds relentlessly cheered for the bloodshed. Although we thankfully don’t have anything remotely this obscene today -yet- “Smash TV” foresaw millions of viewers watching everyday people forced into competitive, unrealistic scenarios for entertainment.

“Battlefield 3” (2011) & “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” (2011)

Military games routinely appear at the forefront of global political tensions, but even with that knowledge, this one is still unprecedented. Coincidentally enough, two games from the two biggest first-person shooter series of the time ended up predicting events that unfortunately came to pass years later. In “Battlefield 3,” a nuke is detonated in Paris, killing 80,000. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” presented another dark scenario where numerous bombs are sent throughout Europe. The most devastating one goes off in London, and no matter the players’ actions, they are unable to prevent detonating. Both these events were eerily reminiscent of the terrorist attacks that occurred in Paris in 2015, involving explosive devices as well as armed extremists, resulting in over 100 people losing their lives and more than 400 people injured.

“Elite Dangerous” (2014)

Oftentimes, science fiction is the innovator of future technology and discoveries. Once again, this was proven correct with “Elite Dangerous.” “Elite Dangerous’” Stellar Forge engine creates procedurally generated galaxies for players to explore based on real-world data and an algorithm to fill in the missing gaps in the known universe. One of these galaxies, the game created some 40 light-years from Earth, had a small cool star orbited by seven rocky planets. Only 3 years later, NASA reported they had discovered a system they designated TRAPPIST-1, 40 light-years from Earth, that had a small cool star orbited by seven rocky planets. Let’s just hope the game's recently discovered alien civilization, the Thargoids, doesn't turn out to be an accurate prediction as well.

“Madden NFL 2015” (2014)

When thinking of games that predicted the future, you wouldn’t immediately think of the yearly “Madden” series, but as part of the series tradition, EA Sports runs simulation games just before the Super Bowl each year. For Super Bowl XLIX (49) in 2015, the simulation was almost too perfect. Not only did “Madden NFL 2015” predict the exact game ending score of 28 to 24 with the New England Patriots winning against the Seattle Seahawks, but that was also only the beginning. “Madden 2015” accurately predicted who would score first, the Patriots, how the game would end with the final game-winning pass being from quarterback Tom Brady to wide receiver Julian Edelman, and that Tom Brady would win MVP. The yearly Madden tradition has a fairly good track record when it comes to predicting the winner, but never had almost everything been correct down to the detail.

“Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon” (2001)

Tom Clancy was a master of militaristic thrillers and his realistic depictions of combat scenarios, but one of the earliest video game adaptations of his works, written by the man himself, managed to predict real-world conflicts almost a decade before they happened. In 2001, the first “Ghost Recon” game was released, and a U.S. Special Forces Team sent in to support Georgia as Russian forces began their invasion. Not only did Tom Clancy correctly predict the year of the invasion, only missing the exact date by a few months, but also the tactics used, locations, and even the escalation brought on by accusations of Western interference. Tom Clancy’s writings were so scary accurate, it’s no wonder he was investigated numerous times due to beliefs he somehow had gained access to confidential materials.

“Tom Clancy’s The Division” (2016)

Although this one only carries Tom Clancy’s name as part of his universe, Massive Entertainment still managed to create a scenario so terrifyingly real that it basically chronicled the events and response to the COVID-19 pandemic years before the outbreak. While the prospect of the “Dollar Flu,” in which a virus was released during Black Friday on currency to accelerate the spread, it was the government response within the game that was the most accurate. Amongst widespread panic of contagion, everything except essential services within the game would be shut down as survivors stayed quarantined indoors to avoid the virus. Concepts such as government distrust were also a major plot point within the game’s narrative, as was the constant risk of misinformation about the virus itself. Even without Tom Clancy’s direct involvement, his legacy of terrifyingly realistic predictions lives on.

“Deus Ex” (2000)

Out of all the entries on our list, “Deus Ex” is probably the most prophetic, with many of the game’s plot points mirroring reality with shocking detail, whether they meant to or not. Although missing due to technical limitations at the time, the absence of the World Trade Center buildings is almost impossible to ignore, especially with the game set in the year 2052, decades after the tragedy of September 11, 2001. However, the game explains their disappearance being attributed to a terrorist attack in a single throwaway line of dialogue. “Deus Ex” also predicted the near-complete destruction of the middle class, the rise of AI and automation, as well as corporations' influence over global conflicts and the near-constant surveillance of their customers, which also happens to constantly feed them a near-consistent stream of misinformation. But that would never happen in real life, right? Right?!

“Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty” (2001)

At the time of its release, to many casual fans, “Metal Gear Solid 2” was convoluted and much more complicated to understand than its predecessor. To an extent, that is still true today. However, “MGS2” is widely regarded today for its incredibly accurate predictions on everything from the near constant surveillance state we live in today, shadowy organizations controlling the government behind the scenes through financial influence, the widespread use of misinformation online, and the rapid rise of AI. “MGS2” was incredibly forward-thinking for the time. It was just so far-fetched that we never believed it could ever become a reality. This wasn’t the first time Kojima predicted future events with the “Metal Gear” series either. Back in 1990, he predicted algae would be used as a fuel source. Something that wouldn’t become a reality until 2012.

“Death Stranding” (2019)

Kojima lands on our list again, this time with his delivery simulator, “Death Stranding.” Releasing mere months before the entire world was locked down and forced to remain indoors and quarantined from one another, Hideo Kojima somehow predicted a scenario that was eerily close to real life. With everything but essential services shut down, everyday people relied on delivery personnel to keep them connected and supplied as they waited for the world to recover. Sound familiar? While thankfully the virus was nowhere near as deadly as the BT’s or Timefall within “Death Stranding,” the few remaining residents relied solely on Sam and the player to keep them alive and connected with essential and lifesaving supplies for those too afraid of the outside world to venture out on their own. “Death Stranding” was so close to real life that it forced Kojima to rewrite the sequel to avoid a similar scenario.

“Call of Duty: Ghosts” (2013)

The recent capture and extraction of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro eerily mirrors the events of 2013’s “Call of Duty: Ghosts.” When “Call of Duty: Ghosts” was initially released, many considered it controversial for depicting Venezuela as a global threat, controlling untold amounts of the world’s oil reserves. However, over a decade later, not only did Maduro take power in 2013, the year of the game’s release, but the location of the American Forces operation, both in-game and real life in 2026, took place in Caracas. The “Call of Duty” series might not be highly regarded for its narratives these days as it once was, but in the mid-2000s, “Call of Duty” campaigns were incredibly grounded, with even “Black Ops II” predicting the military’s implementation and heavy use of drones and autonomous vehicles in combat operations.

Which real-life event that video games knew were going to happen shocked you the most? Tap into your inner Nostradamus and share your favorite video game predictions for the future you hope come true.