Call Of Duty: Vanguard Apparently Lets You Wear Nazi Memorabilia

"Nazis, I hate these guys". As Activision and Treyarch roll out their tanks for Vanguard, the next chapter in the long-running Call of Duty franchise is going back to the trenches of World War II. While the franchise has sometimes strayed away from historical accuracy, we've already covered how Vanguard could include Nazi imagery. Now, we think we know how it'll work. 

In Vanguard, the story focuses on four main characters - Cameroonian-British paratrooper Sgt. Arthur Kingsley, Soviet sniper Lt. Polina Petrova, American fighter pilot Lt. 1st Class Wade Jackson, and Australian infantryman Private Lucas Riggs. The main enemy is German Hermann Wenzel Freisinger, and while we'll be going up against the SS mastermind of Project Phoenix, there are some controversial choices that could put Nazis front and centre.

Will you be able to dress as a Nazi in Vanguard?

In the past, Call of Duty has used the Iron Cross instead of the swastika. Both symbols have been associated with Nazi Germany, however, the Iron Cross is a largely more accepted form these days. In Sledgehammer's Call of Duty: WWII from 2017, the developer opted to feature the Iron Cross on banners and uniforms - where you'd normally expect the swastika. 

Even though in-game imagery from Vanguard has largely shown the Iron Cross again, inside scooper Tom Henderson claims you'll be able to choose between wearing the Iron Cross or the swastika. It's sure to be a sticky wicket, with players already sharing their disdain at the use of the controversial symbol being largely outweighed by those who are championing historical accuracy and calling out a "snowflake" society. 

Not seeing the problem with swastikas, one added, "For real, what's the real reason to not put swastikas in the game? Fear of the devs to be cancelled? Laziness to make a second version for the countries who ban these type of symbols like Germany?" Another continued, "Im honestly Happy to hear this, I'm so sick of all these games censoring swastikas and things like that. You can't just censor history."

Will swastikas be included in Vanguard multiplayer?

The general school of thought is that while you'll be able to toggle swastikas in the main game, multiplayer will be a different kettle of fish. While Sledgehammer being in control of where and when swastikas could be seen makes a lot of sense, letting you run around in a swastika-filled lobby is something else entirely. You can see the abuse and viral videos from here. 

Different countries have different rulings on whether swastikas can be displayed, so adding them to multiplayer would ultimately lead to separate queues. Sledgehammer is wedged firmly between a rock and a hard place. Whether Iron Crosses, swastikas, or both, there are always going to be those who criticise the developer. Well, that's what you get for trying to make a historically accurate WWII game.