World of Warships is celebrating the commissioning of USS Kidd 78 years ago by adding US Navy Veteran – Leroy Jenkins – as a playable commander. Jenkins served on USS Kidd during the Korean War before returning to the ship 43 years later to serve as a curator on the now Navy ship museum.
Despite sharing a name, Leroy Jenkins the veteran is not related to Leeroy Jenkins the World of Warcraft meme.
“When we met Mr. Jenkins and learned more about his service and his dedication to the USS Kidd, we wanted to celebrate and share those strong values with our community, so we decided to add him as a new commander in the game,” said Artur Plociennik, World of Warships’ regional publishing director. “Naturally, a lot of our players are fans of Navy history, but for those players more in tune with internet culture and who associate the name with the meme, hopefully, this will inspire them to learn more about Naval history and the real veterans who served like Mr. Jenkins.”
To jump into the shoes of Leroy Jenkins, you'll need to complete one of two in-game questlines. Upon completion, you'll earn either a 6 or 10 skill point Commander Jenkins that is trained for the USS Kidd.
World of Warships has already released several updates throughout 2021, including a Godzilla Vs. Kong patch earlier this month that saw the addition of new battleships and movie-themed cosmetics. This USS Kidd update is much more grounded in reality, but seems like yet another batch of great content.
“The USS KIDD Veterans Museum is excited and proud to see Seaman Leroy Jenkins enter World of Warships and made available for players to serve alongside him,” said Tim NesSmith Ship Superintendent and Educational Outreach Coordinator. “It is yet another example of his excellence as an ambassador for the ‘Pirate of the Pacific.’ We look forward to seeing him once again at sea.”
World of Warships is available on PC, while you can find World of Warships: Legends on PlayStation and Xbox consoles.