What Youre Seeing Is Advanced Warfare

2017Image caption / reaction videosemi-active

Also known as: Advanced Warfare Meme · Kevin Spacey Pointing Meme

What You're Seeing Is Advanced Warfare is a 2017 reaction video meme from Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, featuring Kevin Spacey's character gesturing to ironically exaggerate the sophistication of anything absurd or impressive.

"What You're Seeing Is Advanced Warfare" is an image caption and video meme based on a cutscene from the 2014 video game *Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare*, where the character Jonathan Irons (played by Kevin Spacey) gestures toward a military facility and declares, "What you're seeing is advanced warfare." The clip first appeared in memes around 2017 but hit its stride in late 2021 and 2022, becoming a popular reaction format for labeling anything impressive, absurd, or unexpectedly sophisticated.

Overview

The meme uses a specific moment from *Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare*'s opening cutscene. In the scene, Jonathan Irons, the CEO of the Atlas Corporation private military company, shows the player character around Atlas's military facility and delivers the line "What you're seeing is advanced warfare" while gesturing outward1. Because Kevin Spacey provided the motion capture and voice performance for Irons, the meme doubles as a Kevin Spacey reaction clip3.

The format works in two main ways. In video edits, creators splice the clip into footage of something bizarre, skillful, or over-the-top, with Spacey's delivery acting as a punchline. In image macros, a screenshot of Irons pointing is paired with a caption describing something that qualifies as "advanced warfare" in a humorous or ironic context1.

*Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare* launched on November 4, 2014, developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision3. The game was set in a near-future timeline (2054-2061) and featured Kevin Spacey and Troy Baker in lead voice roles4. Spacey played Jonathan Irons, head of the Atlas Corporation, a private military company that eventually turns antagonist. The "advanced warfare" line comes early in the campaign when Irons introduces protagonist Jack Mitchell to Atlas's capabilities1.

The clip sat mostly unused for about three years. On November 5, 2017, YouTuber Pickle O posted what appears to be the earliest meme using the footage, combining Irons's declaration with a viral video of a hippopotamus defecating1. The video picked up roughly 1,400 views over the next five years. On October 12, 2019, Redditor TemperVOD created the first known image caption version, a Pro-Hong Kong Mei edit that pulled in over 370 upvotes on r/dankmemes1.

Origin & Background

Platform
*Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare* (source material), YouTube / Reddit (meme format)
Key People
Pickle O, TemperVOD
Date
2017 (as meme), 2014 (source material)
Year
2017

*Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare* launched on November 4, 2014, developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision. The game was set in a near-future timeline (2054-2061) and featured Kevin Spacey and Troy Baker in lead voice roles. Spacey played Jonathan Irons, head of the Atlas Corporation, a private military company that eventually turns antagonist. The "advanced warfare" line comes early in the campaign when Irons introduces protagonist Jack Mitchell to Atlas's capabilities.

The clip sat mostly unused for about three years. On November 5, 2017, YouTuber Pickle O posted what appears to be the earliest meme using the footage, combining Irons's declaration with a viral video of a hippopotamus defecating. The video picked up roughly 1,400 views over the next five years. On October 12, 2019, Redditor TemperVOD created the first known image caption version, a Pro-Hong Kong Mei edit that pulled in over 370 upvotes on r/dankmemes.

How It Spread

The format gained serious traction in early 2020. On February 3-4, 2020, Redditor Global_Hedgehog dropped a series of three memes using altered versions of the quote across r/dankmemes and r/memes, with the second post racking up 6,900 upvotes on r/dankmemes and 26,200 upvotes on r/memes. The next day, Redditor CMNG713 posted an anti-meme take on the format that earned over 9,800 upvotes on r/antimeme.

The meme entered a new growth phase in November 2021, spreading rapidly across YouTube, Reddit, and other platforms. On November 8, 2021, YouTube user uncle tham posted a video combining the clip with footage of a woman doing unconventional gym exercises, which gained over 10,000 views in five months. That same day, YouTuber upstairs neighbor uploaded a green screen template of the clip, making it easier for creators to produce their own edits.

By November 2022, the format was thriving in multiple communities. On November 9, Redditor ussvincent11 posted a version to r/memes (1,600+ upvotes), and later that day Redditor 48H1 put up a history meme on r/HistoryMemes that blew up to over 14,200 upvotes. On November 15, YouTuber Caffeinated_Spooder226 posted a version that hit 128,000 views in five months. Facebook got in on the action too. On November 19, 2022, the page Nefarious Napoleonic Memes shared a history-themed version that earned 900 reactions and 340+ shares.

How to Use This Meme

The format is flexible and works for both video and image versions:

Video version: Take footage of something absurd, impressive, or unexpectedly intense. Splice in the *Advanced Warfare* cutscene clip where Kevin Spacey says the line. The joke works best when the preceding footage shows something that's technically not warfare but feels like it. Green screen templates are available for custom backgrounds.

Image version: Use a screenshot of Jonathan Irons pointing (typically mid-gesture). Add a caption describing something that qualifies as "advanced warfare" in a funny or ironic way. Common approaches include pairing it with military history facts, gym footage, cooking disasters, or any situation involving disproportionate force or strategy.

The format often works well with: - Historical warfare moments that were genuinely ahead of their time - Everyday situations that escalate to absurd levels - Anti-meme takes where the image literally shows advanced military technology - Crossovers with other reaction formats

Cultural Impact

The meme gave *Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare* an unexpected second life years after its 2014 release. While the game received positive reviews at launch for its visuals and Kevin Spacey's performance, it had largely faded from gaming discourse by the time the meme format caught on. The meme specifically thrived in the r/HistoryMemes community, where it became a go-to format for framing real military innovations as "advanced warfare".

The availability of green screen templates helped the format spread among video editors, making it one of the more accessible *Call of Duty* memes to remix.

Fun Facts

Kevin Spacey's motion capture performance for Jonathan Irons was widely praised at launch, making it one of the more convincing digital actor likenesses in gaming at the time.

*Advanced Warfare* was the first *Call of Duty* title developed primarily by Sledgehammer Games, and the first entry since *Call of Duty 2* to feature a largely rewritten game engine.

The meme took roughly three years to appear after the game's 2014 release, and another four years after that to reach peak popularity in 2021-2022.

The game's plot is set between 2054 and 2061, following a U.S. Marine who joins a private military corporation.

The EB Games "Rivals" commercial promoting *Advanced Warfare* also drew its own meme attention for its awkward acting.

Derivatives & Variations

Anti-meme version:

Users post the image with a literal description of actual advanced military technology, playing the format completely straight. The r/antimeme version from 2020 by CMNG713 was one of the earliest and most popular[1].

Altered quote versions:

Redditor Global_Hedgehog created a series using modified versions of the original quote rather than the exact line, which became their own mini-trend in February 2020[1].

History meme crossovers:

The format became particularly popular on r/HistoryMemes and Facebook history pages like Nefarious Napoleonic Memes, applied to real historical military innovations and tactics[1].

Green screen edits:

Following the release of a green screen template by YouTuber upstairs neighbor in November 2021, creators began inserting Irons into entirely new video contexts[1].

Frequently Asked Questions

What Youre Seeing Is Advanced Warfare

2017Image caption / reaction videosemi-active

Also known as: Advanced Warfare Meme · Kevin Spacey Pointing Meme

What You're Seeing Is Advanced Warfare is a 2017 reaction video meme from Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, featuring Kevin Spacey's character gesturing to ironically exaggerate the sophistication of anything absurd or impressive.

"What You're Seeing Is Advanced Warfare" is an image caption and video meme based on a cutscene from the 2014 video game *Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare*, where the character Jonathan Irons (played by Kevin Spacey) gestures toward a military facility and declares, "What you're seeing is advanced warfare." The clip first appeared in memes around 2017 but hit its stride in late 2021 and 2022, becoming a popular reaction format for labeling anything impressive, absurd, or unexpectedly sophisticated.

Overview

The meme uses a specific moment from *Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare*'s opening cutscene. In the scene, Jonathan Irons, the CEO of the Atlas Corporation private military company, shows the player character around Atlas's military facility and delivers the line "What you're seeing is advanced warfare" while gesturing outward. Because Kevin Spacey provided the motion capture and voice performance for Irons, the meme doubles as a Kevin Spacey reaction clip.

The format works in two main ways. In video edits, creators splice the clip into footage of something bizarre, skillful, or over-the-top, with Spacey's delivery acting as a punchline. In image macros, a screenshot of Irons pointing is paired with a caption describing something that qualifies as "advanced warfare" in a humorous or ironic context.

*Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare* launched on November 4, 2014, developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision. The game was set in a near-future timeline (2054-2061) and featured Kevin Spacey and Troy Baker in lead voice roles. Spacey played Jonathan Irons, head of the Atlas Corporation, a private military company that eventually turns antagonist. The "advanced warfare" line comes early in the campaign when Irons introduces protagonist Jack Mitchell to Atlas's capabilities.

The clip sat mostly unused for about three years. On November 5, 2017, YouTuber Pickle O posted what appears to be the earliest meme using the footage, combining Irons's declaration with a viral video of a hippopotamus defecating. The video picked up roughly 1,400 views over the next five years. On October 12, 2019, Redditor TemperVOD created the first known image caption version, a Pro-Hong Kong Mei edit that pulled in over 370 upvotes on r/dankmemes.

Origin & Background

Platform
*Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare* (source material), YouTube / Reddit (meme format)
Key People
Pickle O, TemperVOD
Date
2017 (as meme), 2014 (source material)
Year
2017

*Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare* launched on November 4, 2014, developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision. The game was set in a near-future timeline (2054-2061) and featured Kevin Spacey and Troy Baker in lead voice roles. Spacey played Jonathan Irons, head of the Atlas Corporation, a private military company that eventually turns antagonist. The "advanced warfare" line comes early in the campaign when Irons introduces protagonist Jack Mitchell to Atlas's capabilities.

The clip sat mostly unused for about three years. On November 5, 2017, YouTuber Pickle O posted what appears to be the earliest meme using the footage, combining Irons's declaration with a viral video of a hippopotamus defecating. The video picked up roughly 1,400 views over the next five years. On October 12, 2019, Redditor TemperVOD created the first known image caption version, a Pro-Hong Kong Mei edit that pulled in over 370 upvotes on r/dankmemes.

How It Spread

The format gained serious traction in early 2020. On February 3-4, 2020, Redditor Global_Hedgehog dropped a series of three memes using altered versions of the quote across r/dankmemes and r/memes, with the second post racking up 6,900 upvotes on r/dankmemes and 26,200 upvotes on r/memes. The next day, Redditor CMNG713 posted an anti-meme take on the format that earned over 9,800 upvotes on r/antimeme.

The meme entered a new growth phase in November 2021, spreading rapidly across YouTube, Reddit, and other platforms. On November 8, 2021, YouTube user uncle tham posted a video combining the clip with footage of a woman doing unconventional gym exercises, which gained over 10,000 views in five months. That same day, YouTuber upstairs neighbor uploaded a green screen template of the clip, making it easier for creators to produce their own edits.

By November 2022, the format was thriving in multiple communities. On November 9, Redditor ussvincent11 posted a version to r/memes (1,600+ upvotes), and later that day Redditor 48H1 put up a history meme on r/HistoryMemes that blew up to over 14,200 upvotes. On November 15, YouTuber Caffeinated_Spooder226 posted a version that hit 128,000 views in five months. Facebook got in on the action too. On November 19, 2022, the page Nefarious Napoleonic Memes shared a history-themed version that earned 900 reactions and 340+ shares.

How to Use This Meme

The format is flexible and works for both video and image versions:

Video version: Take footage of something absurd, impressive, or unexpectedly intense. Splice in the *Advanced Warfare* cutscene clip where Kevin Spacey says the line. The joke works best when the preceding footage shows something that's technically not warfare but feels like it. Green screen templates are available for custom backgrounds.

Image version: Use a screenshot of Jonathan Irons pointing (typically mid-gesture). Add a caption describing something that qualifies as "advanced warfare" in a funny or ironic way. Common approaches include pairing it with military history facts, gym footage, cooking disasters, or any situation involving disproportionate force or strategy.

The format often works well with: - Historical warfare moments that were genuinely ahead of their time - Everyday situations that escalate to absurd levels - Anti-meme takes where the image literally shows advanced military technology - Crossovers with other reaction formats

Cultural Impact

The meme gave *Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare* an unexpected second life years after its 2014 release. While the game received positive reviews at launch for its visuals and Kevin Spacey's performance, it had largely faded from gaming discourse by the time the meme format caught on. The meme specifically thrived in the r/HistoryMemes community, where it became a go-to format for framing real military innovations as "advanced warfare".

The availability of green screen templates helped the format spread among video editors, making it one of the more accessible *Call of Duty* memes to remix.

Fun Facts

Kevin Spacey's motion capture performance for Jonathan Irons was widely praised at launch, making it one of the more convincing digital actor likenesses in gaming at the time.

*Advanced Warfare* was the first *Call of Duty* title developed primarily by Sledgehammer Games, and the first entry since *Call of Duty 2* to feature a largely rewritten game engine.

The meme took roughly three years to appear after the game's 2014 release, and another four years after that to reach peak popularity in 2021-2022.

The game's plot is set between 2054 and 2061, following a U.S. Marine who joins a private military corporation.

The EB Games "Rivals" commercial promoting *Advanced Warfare* also drew its own meme attention for its awkward acting.

Derivatives & Variations

Anti-meme version:

Users post the image with a literal description of actual advanced military technology, playing the format completely straight. The r/antimeme version from 2020 by CMNG713 was one of the earliest and most popular[1].

Altered quote versions:

Redditor Global_Hedgehog created a series using modified versions of the original quote rather than the exact line, which became their own mini-trend in February 2020[1].

History meme crossovers:

The format became particularly popular on r/HistoryMemes and Facebook history pages like Nefarious Napoleonic Memes, applied to real historical military innovations and tactics[1].

Green screen edits:

Following the release of a green screen template by YouTuber upstairs neighbor in November 2021, creators began inserting Irons into entirely new video contexts[1].

Frequently Asked Questions