In 2017, the Department of the Interior announced a new initiative to “reemphasize hunting and fishing” at the DOI: “Secretary’s Shotgun Showdown,” a video game tournament in which employees would take on then-Secretary Ryan Zinke in a game of “Big Buck Hunter Pro” for the chance to win “bragging rights” and a “Beverage on the Balcony.” Just days before the game was dropped off, key details had yet to be finalized.

Back in 2014, MuckRock reported that a request for Federal Bureau of Investigation files on the online movement “#GamerGate” had been rejected on grounds there were ongoing criminal investigations. Several years later, the FBI released a heavily-redacted copy of that file, largely consisting of the Bureau looking to various death threats related to the movement. While details are scarce, a one point it appears as if the threats had escalated to full-blown nuclear retaliation.

Released in 1985, XOR Software’s “NFL Challenge” was one of the first commercially-available sports simulators for the PC, and is still considered among the best. However, memos uncovered in the Central Intelligence Agency’s archives show that XOR had their sights on a loftier endorsement than the National Football League - CIA counterintelligence.

In the interest of fairness - and because it’s the Central Intelligence Agency’s birthday - we thought we’d try and dig up a few examples of net positives the Agency has intentionally (or unintentionally) visited upon the world. What we found was that from science to cinema, the Agency’s unexpected reach knows no bounds.

After three years of processing, the Pentagon has finally released its catalogue of video games available to detainees at Guantanamo Bay.