Why Lifting the Ban on Nazi Imagery on Video Games in Germany Was the Right Move

The next Wolfenstein game might not even need to remove Adolf Hitler's mustache: Germany's Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (or USK), an independent, industry-funded board that oversees age and content ratings for videos games available in the country, announced on Thursday that it will now permit the sale of games featuring Nazi imagery within the country, something that had previously been banned. The industry body's decision reportedly came after a heated debate involving the Nazi-killing Wolfenstein series, particularly a pair of anti–Third Reich games in 2014 and 2017 that were visibly, and somewhat humorously, self-censored in Germany in order to avoid violating a provision of the country's constitution. Previously, video games with Nazi symbolism were heavily censored or outright banned based on the German criminal code's Section 86a, which forbids the use of symbols, flags, insignia, uniforms, slogans, propaganda, and greetings relating to "unconstitutional organizations" (read: Nazis) in German products. Section 86a violations could be met with up to three years of imprisonment or a hefty fine. While the list of games with German-censored versions is quite long, some of the bigger or more recent affected titles include Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.