‘The Hunt for Reddit October’: A Crusader Kings 3 fan accidentally leaked a submarine’s location
Crusader Kings 3 isn’t a game that comes up on our radar terribly often, but it does have some optional online multiplayer PvP in it and MOP’s Ben found it to be a fun if frustrating Not-So-Massively strategy title. So why is this in our list of news stories for this week? Because we’ve got another tale of an active duty service member being a gaming nerd first and considering OPSEC second – and for once it’s not the usual culprit.
A fan of the game made a post on Reddit that included a photo from the inside of a U.S. Navy submarine with their laptop playing the strategy title while wondering, “First person to play CK3 on a submarine?” The thread was additionally cross-posted to a Navy subreddit.
Almost immediately, replies started pouring in on both threads that point out how the post was breaking security protocol, since the metadata of the photo can include location details that effectively could help unauthorized eyeballs track where this submarine was located at the time. What’s more, another reply pointed out that a red cable was visible, suggesting that this particular person was aboard a nuclear submarine.
The photo and the associated Reddit account were subsequently deleted, but naturally someone already captured the ill-advised post for the sake of posterity. It’s also the same thread that coined the perfect name for the facepalm-worthy event – The Hunt for Reddit October – which is far too clever for what is otherwise an extremely dumb move.
Despite how quickly this breach of security was scrubbed, the internet (including us) will definitely remember, as will fans on the CK3 subreddit. “Can we just appreciate the fact state secrets were just leaked on this sub?” asks a recent thread. We certainly can, but that Navy serviceman can’t. At least it wasn’t War Thunder this time!
The Hunt for Reddit October
— Ice (@WeBecomeTheIce) January 23, 2026
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