Wolfenstein-II Controversy: Bethesda Softworks Draws Flak For 'Make America Nazi-Free Again' Promotion

The Wolfenstein game series made by Bethesda Studios has never hidden the fact that the series was based around eliminating Nazi forces from Germany. Up until the 2015 installation of the game, the storyline has followed a "Nazi-forces overturning" mission agenda.

A new ad campaign for the game takes this idea forward and focuses on a Nazi-dominated 1960’s America. The tweet that drew eyeballs simply read "Make America Nazi-Free Again." This seems like a direct assault on the growing Nazi Alt-right unrest in America, according to a Gamesindustry.biz article.

The new ad campaign saw the use of hashtags like #NoMoreNazis and slogans like "Not My America."

It comes as no surprise that the ad campaign for "Wolfenstein II" focuses on the dispelling of Nazis from the United States. That is what the game has been about for the past 20 years according to Pete Hines, VP for PR and marketing at Bethesda. The game has always followed a man who is motivated to end the reign of Nazi forces across the world. The game follows an alternative history storyline where 1960’s America is fighting against an invading Nazi force.

"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. 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," Hines said in the report.

The ad campaign also mirrors the populist political campaign that resonated throughout America last year. President Donald Trump's famous campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again," was used as a template in the ad that read "Make America Nazi-Free Again."

With the current unrest in the nation, questions were raised on Twitter against the ad campaign. The #NoMoreNazis tagline has caused a stir and prompted complaints about both the game and Bethesda via social media said the Gamesindustry.biz report.

"That was definitely not something we anticipated. We started writing the script in 2014 right after we released the first one. Somehow things have gotten strangely topical. Which, of course, is not something we anticipated or feel especially good about. That's the way it is, I guess," said Jens Matthies, creative director of “Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.”

The makers of the game draw attention to the large number of positive responses they got, just 12 hours after the release of the campaign. While there are some people online who used this as a chance to promote their Nazi agenda, most people responded positively. The trailer released by the studio shows Nazi forces marching through American streets. This can be seen by many as a statement but the makers are not worried about the political ramifications.

Though the game was not aligned to capitalize on the current political scenario, it seems to have riled a few feathers. It will be interesting to see reactions to the game itself. Whether the game will be successful is still to be seen, but the amount of traction a teaser generated clearly shows heightened political sensitivity in people today.