The idea behind using media as a platform for a political statement isn’t something new. In fact, media is a major platform for many voices to be heard, and has been for centuries. While a majority of these statements occur in movies, art, and books – it isn’t unheard of for games to also be a popular platform for a good ‘ol fashioned political statement. An example of this is the upcoming Wolfenstein II. The New Colossus devs wanted to set a few things straight regarding the upcoming title. In a recent interview, Jens Matthies, the Creative Director of MachineGames, explained that amidst the chaos and mayhem, the alternate history shooter is going to be a political statement, however it won’t be a commentary on current events.

The game takes place in America during what the 60’s era, a time known for the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the NASA moon landing, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and more. The period was a powder keg for revolutionary change in society and serves as the backdrop for Wolfenstein II. According to Matthies, the team planned on making the series a trilogy and in looking at where to go next, they decided on taking the fight to the US. What they didn’t expect, however, was releasing a game on Nazism amidst a time where that very subject seems to be prevalent everywhere in the news.

I don’t know, it’s an unexpected development for sure. It’s not something that has any real bearing on the game, because the game isn’t a commentary on current topics. We are making a game about Nazis and Nazi ideology, so on some foundational level it is a political game. Or at least it is if you want to deal with those topics in some serious manner.”

Not only will Wolfenstein II feature Nazis on American soil, but some topics which are frequent during the time are also seen and amplified such as the KKK members in their full, traditional garb. Showing the portion of a population who is sympathetic or following the ideals of a white supremacist regime is an interesting, and controversial, addition to the game and something the developers felt was an important thing to show.

It was really important for us to show what mainstreet America looked like after the Nazis had taken over. It’s something we spent a lot of time thinking about. It might have been the first level we knew we were going to put into the game. There was always a segment of the population who were “winners” in an oppressive regime, and they were willing to look past what the ramifications were to the other parts of the population. I think that’s what’s interesting universally, because I don’t think that’s uniquely German. Anyone is susceptible to that.”

While it does hit a lot of uncomfortable topics, and certainly topics that are running rampant currently; the intent was not to be a commentary on current events. In the end, the game will be the best possible title the developers can make and what happens in the outside world doesn’t have an affect on that, at least not this time. Wolfenstein II will release on October 27th for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Let us know your thoughts on the political statement that Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will provide and more in the comments section below. As always, don’t forget to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter for 24/7 coverage of all things gaming and entertainment.