Binary Blitzkrieg: Nazi Representation in Video Games

A lecture by archivist Drew Adan

From supernatural representations in the Wolfenstein series and Call of Duty’s Nazi zombies, to more realistic portrayals in Through the Darkest of Times, Nazis continue to play the role of “quintessential human evil” and offer a human (yet dehumanized) target in hyper-violent video games and especially the first-person shooter genre. In recent years, there appears to be a trend developing that normalizes and humanizes the once faceless Nazi enemy. This presentation traces the history of Nazi representation in video games and examines shifting representations in the context of a global resurgence of Nazi-style racially charged ethnonationalism.