Call of Duty: WW2 multiplayer won't feature swastikas and people of colour can fight for Axis forces

When Call of Duty returns to World War 2 this November, the online multiplayer side of the anticipated title won't accurately reflect the historical conflict and the developers at Sledgehammer Games have explained why.

In Call of Duty: WW2's multiplayer, the German Reich will not bear the Nazi swastika on their uniforms. In addition, players will be able to fight for Axis forces whether their created character is male or female, black or white.

Given the fascist views of Nazi Germany and the broader racism of the era, German forces were almost entirely comprised of white men.

"Multiplayer is this gritty, immersive experience, but it's also about putting you - this is about you - in World War 2," Sledgehammer co-founder Michael Condrey told Eurogamer.

"And so, that evolution of your character means it's important for us to allow you to choose to be you, and to have a hero that represents who you are, whomever you choose that to be. We want this to be about you."

"We're not making a statement about the authenticity of the Axis force. We're making this about putting you in this social space and you into your soldier."

There's a similar reasoning behind the game's lack of swastikas in multiplayer. "We want the community to play together. We want to be respectful of local customs and laws around the world," Condrey said.

"And frankly [the swastika] is a dark symbol with a lot of emotion behind it we don't feel matches our multiplayer experience."

Historically in Call of Duty, players have rarely been given the choice of which side of a conflict they wish to fight for. This could mean people of colour being forced to play on the Axis forces side with an avatar that reflects their appearance, and they may not be entirely comfortable with that.

The game's single-player campaign will be historically accurate however - as it should be given the mass appeal of the Call of Duty series and its young audience, who won't necessarily know much about the setting's historical importance.

Call of Duty: WW2 is set for release on PS4, Xbox One and PC on 2 November.

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