The Call of Duty series is one of the most popular first-person shooter (FPS) franchises to ever hit video games, and Modern Warfare has been hailed by new gamers and those dedicated to the series for its realistic boots-on-the-ground gameplay since its launch last year. The guns are all based on real weapons and actually act like them. The environments, or maps, all seem like authentic locations. Even the microphone chatter is pulled from real commands military personnel use.Well, Wednesday marks the launch of Season 3, the latest update for Modern Warfare, with new maps, guns and characters. Well, Wednesday marks the launch of Season 3, the latest update for Modern Warfare, with new maps, guns and characters.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Season 3 Details

But the biggest highlight is probably the inclusion of “Ronin,” a new playable character based on none other than the real-life Tu Lam of Ronin Tactics. How cool is that? While Season One included the character “Mara—based on Alex Zedra (Instagram: @Alex_Zedra)—and Season Three includes a character based on Jade Struck—Tu Lam has actually “been there, done that.”

We recently interviewed him in the March 2020 issue of Tactical Life magazine. In the article “The Ronin Way,” author Jason Bright details how Tu Lam escaped from Vietnam during the war. It describes how a Green Beret later adopted Lam. Then, back here in the states, he eventually grew up to become a Green Beret himself, with deployments all over the world. He even joined Delta Force at one point. Now he runs a training company, Ronin Tactics, and has co-hosted shows like Forged in Fire. But, as Bright wrote, “as I learned during our interview, given his many accomplishments, he’s humble, kind and passionate about helping others.”

According to Lam, “Green Berets were masters at unconventional warfare. Their mission required working covertly in areas of war and conflict around the world. I realized at a young age that joining the Green Berets was my ticket to help fight and free the oppressed. I realized I could help others like my family suffering from conflicts and wars.”

Tu Lam Brings the Street Cred

After joining his first A-Team at the age of 21, Lam eventually “worked in 27 different countries” on a number of missions. Then he joined Delta Force, but of course he can’t really talk about that: “The Unit is a highly classified military assignment. The operations and capabilities of The Unit are conducted at the top-secret level.” All in all, he served the U.S. military for over 20 years. Now, he’s all about Ronin Tactics.

“Ronin is a journey for me. It’s a journey of education in others and in myself. Team Ronin travels around the United States to teach others the ways to self-protection. I teach my students the experience and the advanced skills I’ve acquired throughout my time with the Special Forces. The majority of our students are police officers and military, but we do make time to also teach civilians. I feel that good people have a right to protect themselves from the evils of this world. As a Green Beret, I have seen the aftermath of people not being able to defend themselves. During my time in the service, I’ve helped stop acts of modern-day genocide. As a child born in war, I understand the hopelessness that comes with being untrained.”

Want to see Lam in action in Modern Warfare Season 3? Check out the video below. He makes his appearance at the 19-second mark, packing two blades. Yeah, we got chills too.

For all you gamers, check out Skillset’s rundown on Mortal Kombat. As far as video game franchises go, it’s just as big as “Call of Duty.”