In opposition to what many would consider common sense, it looks like a niche subset of people are up in arms about the themes of Wolfenstein 2. According to PC Games N, these very same people proudly fly the swastika flag across their social media. They would have us believe there is no place for violence in this area. Even more ironic is that this select group of individuals believe Bethesda is actively seeking profit from the current political climate and escalating tensions in today’s America. Clearly, they are blissfully unaware of how long Wolfenstein has been around. Or indeed, how long it takes to develop a game of this quality.
The hubub began its escalation as soon as Bethesda released their most recent marketing material on Twitter. The nine second videos display Wolfenstien 2’s Nazis gathering on American streets with the overlays “Not My America” and “Make America Nazi Free Again”. Clearly this is far too sensitive a subject for today’s Neo Nazi’s. Needless to say, for a time, Bethesda’s social media accounts flared up with fans defending the franchise, begging the community not to mix politics with gaming.
Of course, neither publisher Bethesda or developer Machine Games could have foreseen current political events when designing the original reboot The New Order; the first of a planned trilogy of games. In a statement, Bethesda’s Vice President of Marketing, Pete Hines rightly said the following:
“It’s disturbing that the game can be considered a controversial political statement at all…At the time none of us expected that the game would be seen as a comment on current issues, but here we are. We make games that we think are fun, meaningful, and immersive for a mature audience. In Wolfenstein’s case, it’s pure coincidence that Nazis are marching in the streets of America this year.”
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus releases on October 27th and can be preordered for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. It will also release at a later unannounced date for Nintendo Switch in 2018