Sgt Xayxana and Sgt Wright were put into the game as tributes to their real life counterparts, both of whom were Killed in Action.

During development, some former and active duty U.S. Navy SEALs fell under government scrutiny for their involvement in the creation of the game. Their contributions as advisers to the game caused them to be placed under investigation by the Department of Defense for potentially releasing classified information regarding how the SEALs operate.