The Wolfenstein franchise has experienced many changes since the first game released in 1981, but throughout the franchise one thing has remained constant, Nazi’s have always been the bad guys. Now, while this rings true in real life as well, some alt-right gamers have taken issue with the marketing for the latest game, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus takes place in an alternative version of America where the Nazis have successfully invaded the good old U.S. of A. BJ Blazkowicz and his ragtag team of rebels has to liberate America from the Nazi occupation.
As part of their marketing campaign for the game, Bethesda recently released a new trailer titled “Not My America” using the hastag #NoMoreNazis. This has angered some alt-right gamers who feel that Bethesda is using the current political landscape in America to promote their game.
Make America Nazi-Free Again. #NoMoreNazis #Wolf2 pic.twitter.com/52OESypw4P
— Wolfenstein (@wolfenstein) October 5, 2017
This didn’t deter Bethesda VP for PR, Pete Hines, who reassured gamers during an interview with Gamesindustry.biz that the message of anti-Nazism has always been a cornerstone of the Wolfenstein franchise:
“Wolfenstein has been a decidedly anti-Nazi series since the first release more than 20 years ago. We aren’t going to shy away from what the game is about.”
It is also important to note that Wolfenstein II started development before all the recent white supremacist marches. Hines also commented on how disturbing he finds it that the game can be considered a controversial political statement:
“In Wolfenstein’s case, it’s pure coincidence that Nazis are marching in the streets of America this year. And it’s disturbing that the game can be considered a controversial political statement at all.”
While Bethesda is aware of the backlash from some gamers, they are sticking to their guns according to Hines:
“We don’t feel it’s a reach for us to say Nazis are bad and un-American, and we’re not worried about being on the right side of history here.”
Whatever you might think about Bethesda’s marketing campaign for the game, one thing is for certain: BJ Blazkowicz will continue to fight Nazi’s wherever they decide to appear.
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They can stuff off.
This how feel about Alt-Right gamers and their big nazi tears.
Its almost as if they are ….. triggered …
One might even say triggered beta cucks.
Bunch of hypocrites
Nazi’s suck and we all hate them. That’s a no-brainer. But I was wondering if there is a game about liberal hypocrites who refuse to criticize ANTIFA who are just as hateful and just as violent as the Nazi’s?
It’s really just a very highly sensationalised minority that has taken Centre stage for Antifa. I agree with the base message of being “anti-fascism” but I can’t agree with some of the group’s followers on how to achieve their goal or their methods used in “spreading their message”
But isn’t there? So many games are spitting at communism and socialism. I dare say in equal quantity and quality.
How many of those bad apples are actually Antifa. I know of a few fake twitter accounts and Facebook pages ment to make antifa seem like almost as bad as the least bad Nazi’s.
ANTIFA just isn’t as hateful and violent as Nazis. That is an entirely false equivalent. Nazis promote genocide. That is there whole thing. ANTIFA promotes resisting Nazis, that’s there whole thing. WW2 soldiers were ANTIFA. Anyone who says, Nazis suck and we should stop them is ANTIFA. It is simply the resistance against Nazis. Most don’t even promote violence however even the minority that does, and that minority can get pretty violent and aggressive at times, is still only promoting violence towards those who are promoting genocide. Though to answer your question, off the top of my head, I would say the Vox Populi you have to fight in Bioshock Infinite would be a fair equivalent.
Lol! The player character is Antifa!
Of course there has to be an apologist trying to blame the anti-nazis for what the nazis are doing.
Think long and hard about what Antifa means and the fact that if there weren’t fascists attempting to purport ate genocide that Antifa wouldn’t exist.
No, because only Nazi sympathizing scumbags footlocker pieces of shit even buy into that horseshit.
Babe u can talk about “as hateful” and “as violent” when 6 million people are dead because of antifa. Until then you just look stupid.
Bunch of Trumpanzees basically smh
Hasn’t Wolfenstein always been anti-nazi? I mean we’ve been shooting nazi’s in these games since way back in Wolfenstein 3d, that seems pretty anti-nazi to me. Just saying…
Exactly
Got to love this.
Day Luna
Bullshit, it’s not about it being “anti-Nazi” wolfenstein has always been anti-nazi, it’s about it being pure leftists propaganda, ever heard of the term “strawman”.
So #nomorenazis is somehow leftist propaganda? Go buy more tiki torches you low-rent Nazi.
No, bullshit to you.
The fact that you claim it to be leftist propaganda, well, yes. Yes it is. As it should be. Nazis don’t belong anywhere. They believe in and promote genocide and racial supremacy.
Propaganda is a tool, and it is a powerful one.
And Nazis ought to die, if not of natural causes, then perhaps by being shot, stabbed, bombed, and hanged.
My Grandfathers did this very thing in World War 2, and I am prepared to so as well.
NEVER AGAIN.
Fuck nazis
They can fuck (alt) right off. I’m almost salivating at all the ways to kill those bastards. For our foreign friends, those are not Americans.
snowflakes
Nazis not liking people fighting Nazis . Makes sense.
Anything that makes worthless nazi trash throw pathetic temper tantrums like the empty-headed overgrown children they are is doing things exactly right.
There is no evidence in the IndustryBiz article that alt-right are not happy. The quote is as follows;
“”At the time none of us expected that the game would be seen as a comment on current issues, but here we are,” Hines says. “Bethesda doesn’t develop games to make specific statements or incite political discussions. 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. And it’s disturbing that the game can be considered a controversial political statement at all.”
The marketing, particularly the #NoMoreNazis tagline, has caused a stir and prompted complaints about both the game and Bethesda via social media, but Hines defends the marketing message.
“This is what our game is about,” he says. “It’s what this franchise has always been about. We aren’t afraid to embrace what BJ stands for and what Wolfenstein represents. When it comes to Nazis, you can put us down in the ‘against’ column.””
I don’t really care who is for or against a game, it is a game after all. But these sorts of click bait articles are neither accurate nor helpful. It implies there rae more alt-right / Nazi / whatever out there than there really are.
Punching nazis is an American tradition. #NoFourthReich #NazisArePunks #TikiTorchBiatches
WON”T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE NAZIS