Germany removes its blanket ban on Nazi imagery within video games

For the longest time, games that featured Nazi imagery such as swastikas or depictions of Hitler would be censored or banned for release in Germany. That decision has just been overturned by the official German regulatory body which is now allowing games with Nazi imagery to go through standard classification processes.

The announcement comes via a Google translated webpage, so please excuse any awkward translations. Although the gist of the announcement is pretty clear.

“Computer and video games may show – after examination of the individual case and after the USK age rating – swastikas, SS runes or Hitler pictures.”

The strict regulations on Nazi imagery within Germany has most notably impacted the Wolfenstein series. The series has in the past censored Nazi imagery, going as far as to remove Hitler’s moustache within Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. There’s also been a lot of swastikas warp into less controversial shapes.

With new open regulations, more games will now be able to tackle this section of history without altering sensitive content. Currently there is no word on whether previously censored or banned games will go through the reclassification process in Germany.