Electronic Arts has announced a new entry into the Medal of Honor series that will ditch the traditional World War II setting in favour of modern-day Afghanistan. The game, simply titled Medal of Honor, will be the first game in the first-person-shooter franchise’s 10-year history that will not take place in the WWII theatre.

Inspired by real events, Medal of Honor traces the story of Tier 1 Operators, a relatively unknown special operations group under the direct command of the National Command Authority. The game’s development team has worked closely with actual Tier 1 Operators since the early stages of development to ensure that the player’s experience is genuine.

A handpicked team at EALA will develop the single-player experience, while the tried-and-true expertise of EA’s DICE Studio has been enlisted to develop the multiplayer component.

“When we first set out to reinvent Medal of Honor, we wanted to stay true to its roots of authenticity and respect for the soldier but bring it into today’s war. The Tier 1 Operator is the most disciplined, deliberate and prepared warrior on the battlefield.  He is a living, breathing, precision instrument of war.” said Greg Goodrich, Executive Producer, Medal of Honor. “We are honoured to have the rare opportunity to work closely with these men to create a game that shares their experience.”

“EA has always been an advocate for telling the soldiers’ story. The new Medal of Honor follows that tradition. We felt it was important to tell the story of today’s war and today’s elite soldiers via today’s most relevant medium – video games,” said Sean Decker, VP and General Manager of EALA. “We are so proud to bring together two powerhouse development teams to make this game a reality; EA Los Angeles and EA DICE. Medal of Honor promises to be an unforgettable entry in the modern shooter genre.”