Asger Risom
A Ukrainian drone training center has transformed GTA V into a custom FPV combat simulator, using modified game mechanics and urban combat scenarios to help train drone operators for modern battlefield conditions shaped by the war with Russia.
A Ukrainian drone training center has modified Grand Theft Auto V into a custom FPV drone simulator designed to help operators practice urban combat tactics shaped by the war against Russia.
The project reflects how rapidly drone warfare is evolving in Ukraine, where military units and training centers are increasingly blending commercial technology, gaming infrastructure and battlefield experience to accelerate operator training.
From video game to combat simulator
According to the Ukrainian training center WeTrueGun, the project — called Seek & Destroy — is built on the original PC version of GTA V Legacy, heavily modified to simulate FPV drone operations inside dense urban environments.
The center said the simulator is not intended to replace professional military systems, but instead serves as an additional training environment between core simulator sessions.
“What you see in the video is not a military simulator in the classical sense,” WeTrueGun said in a statement published on Telegram.
The developers explained that trainees first learn basic drone control using civilian simulators such as LiftOff before progressing to specialized military-focused systems including UFDS and Obriy.
The GTA-based platform was designed to bridge the gap between those systems by providing additional free-flight practice and combat-style urban scenarios.
Training for modern drone warfare
According to WeTrueGun, the modified simulator reproduces several key elements of real FPV drone operations, including speed management, maneuvering, spatial awareness and navigation through city environments.
The platform also includes mock combat missions requiring operators to identify military targets hidden among civilian vehicles before carrying out simulated strikes.
Screenshots and footage released by the center show modified game mechanics, custom-built server functions and adapted flight physics designed specifically for FPV drone exercises.
The developers said work on realism, mission design and flight behavior remains ongoing.
Ukraine has emerged as one of the world’s fastest innovators in drone warfare since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, with both sides increasingly relying on FPV drones for reconnaissance and precision strikes.
Gaming technology meets the battlefield
The use of commercial gaming platforms for military training highlights a broader shift in how armed forces are adapting to modern warfare.
Video game engines offer relatively cheap, scalable and highly flexible environments for simulation compared to traditional military training systems.
For Ukraine, where drone operators are needed at enormous scale, speed and accessibility have become critical.
The adaptation of GTA V also reflects how modern FPV warfare increasingly resembles high-speed first-person gaming environments, particularly in dense urban terrain.
According to previous reporting, Ukrainian soldiers training alongside NATO forces in Poland and the Czech Republic have already introduced battlefield tactics shaped directly by constant drone surveillance and FPV combat operations.
Those lessons are now beginning to influence wider military training approaches across Europe.
Sources: WeTrueGun, United24 Media
