Wolfenstein is a series of video games that imagine a different version of World War II. These games were first created by a company called Muse Software. Most of the games follow an American Army captain named William "B.J." Blazkowicz as he fights against the Axis powers. In the earlier games, the story focuses on Nazis trying to use supernatural and mysterious powers. In later games, the story takes place after the Nazis have successfully used advanced futuristic technologies to win World War II.
The first two games in the series, Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, used gameplay that required players to move quietly and avoid enemies, viewed from above. Starting with the game Wolfenstein 3D made by id Software, the series changed to a new type of game called the first-person shooter, which became very popular. After ZeniMax Media bought id Software, including the Wolfenstein series, a company called MachineGames became the main developer for the series.
History
Castle Wolfenstein was created by programmer Silas Warner, along with Dale Gray and George Varndell. It was published in 1981 by Warner’s company, M.U.S.E. Inc., which later became Muse Software. Warner is recognized as an early leader in video gaming, especially in the stealth genre, where players avoid or outsmart enemies instead of fighting them directly.
The idea for Castle Wolfenstein came to Warner after he watched the 1961 movie The Guns of Navarone, which tells the story of Allied soldiers trying to destroy a strong German fortress. Later that day, he played an arcade game called Berzerk, where players navigate a maze filled with robot enemies. Inspired by the game, Warner imagined replacing the robots with Nazis. He decided to create a game where players would avoid enemies and escape a castle, rather than fighting them. This made killing enemies a tool to help escape, not the main goal.
Castle Wolfenstein is often called one of the first stealth games because it focuses on avoiding or disarming enemies, with killing enemies as a last choice. It was the first computer game to use recorded voices and influenced later games like Metal Gear and Thief. Muse Software released a follow-up game, Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, in 1984. The company officially ended operations on October 7, 1987.
In 1991, a new game company called id Software, founded by John Carmack, John Romero, Tom Hall, and Adrian Carmack, was planning their next project after completing work for their previous employer, Softdisk. After considering a science fiction game idea, Romero suggested creating a 3D version of Castle Wolfenstein. The team liked the idea because they had all enjoyed the original game. They discovered that the name Castle Wolfenstein was no longer protected by a trademark.
Development of Wolfenstein 3D began on December 15, 1991. The team planned to include features from the original game, such as picking up items from dead enemies and opening boxes. They also tried adding stealth ideas, like wearing enemy uniforms or sneaking up on guards. However, these features were later removed because they slowed down the game. Romero explained that the game was most enjoyable when it was fast-paced and focused on running through levels while fighting enemies.
Wolfenstein 3D was released on May 5, 1992, by Apogee Software. The game helped create the first-person shooter genre, which became a major type of video game. It was the first game to use a 3D perspective and allowed players to move freely through environments, unlike the original game’s focus on stealth. The game introduced William “B.J.” Blazkowicz, an American spy of Polish Jewish heritage, who became the main character in the series.
id Software hoped to earn about $60,000 from the game. By the end of 1993, the game had sold over 100,000 copies, plus 100,000 copies of its prequel, Wolfenstein 3D: Spear of Destiny.
Games
A stealth-adventure game takes place during World War II. The player controls an unnamed American prisoner of war who steals German files with secret war plans. The main goal is to escape a Nazi stronghold while avoiding, disarming, or sometimes killing guards.
The first game in the series was created and released by M.U.S.E. Inc. in 1981.
A sequel to Castle Wolfenstein is set during World War II when Adolf Hitler was Germany’s leader. The player must travel through levels of a secret Berlin bunker where Hitler meets with his top staff. The goal is to retrieve a bomb placed inside the bunker and move it to the room where Hitler is meeting, a situation similar to a real event called the July 20 Plot.
Beyond Castle Wolfenstein was the second and final game made by Muse Software, released in 1984. After the original designer, Silas Warner, passed away, his wife shared a version of the game and its source code in 2004 to honor him.
An American spy named William "B.J." Blazkowicz is captured by the Nazis after trying to stop their plans. He is imprisoned under Castle Wolfenstein. After disabling a guard, B.J. takes a stolen pistol and moves through the castle’s underground floors to complete his mission, which includes uncovering the truth about 'Operation Eisenfaust' and destroying it.
Wolfenstein 3D was the first game in the series made by id Software and published by Apogee Software. It introduced the first-person shooter genre, which became very popular.
Spear of Destiny is an expansion pack for Wolfenstein 3D, made by id Software and published by FormGen Corporation. It takes place before Wolfenstein 3D and follows B.J. as he retrieves the Spear of Destiny from the Nazis. Two additional expansion packs, Return to Danger and Ultimate Challenge, were also released by FormGen.
Two agents, William "B.J." Blazkowicz and Agent One, are captured by the Nazis while investigating a secret Nazi project called the SS Paranormal Division. Agent One is killed during questioning, but B.J. escapes. He later learns the Nazis are working on a plan called 'Operation Resurrection' to use supernatural forces to win World War II.
The game was developed by Gray Matter Studios and published by Activision, released in 2001 for Microsoft Windows. It was later released for consoles in 2003.
Enemy Territory was originally planned as an expansion for Return to Castle Wolfenstein but was released as a free multiplayer game instead. It does not have a single-player story but includes expanded multiplayer features. The game was developed by Splash Damage and published by Activision.
A later version called Enemy Territory: Quake Wars was released in 2007.
B.J. is captured while investigating the Paranormal Division of the Axis military. He escapes and infiltrates Castle Wolfenstein to stop the Nazis’ supernatural activities.
A mobile phone game was developed by Fountainhead Entertainment and published by EA Mobile in 2008. John Carmack, a key figure in Wolfenstein 3D, worked as the sole programmer.
B.J. finds a powerful medallion on a German battleship. The OSA sends him to a town called Isenstadt, where the Nazis are mining rare crystals to access a dimension called the "Black Sun."
A 2009 game was a loose sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein, developed by Raven Software, produced by id Software, and published by Activision.
The New Order is set in an alternate world where the Axis powers won World War II. In 1946, OSA agent B.J. is sent to kill General Deathshead but fails. He is severely injured and falls into a coma.
In 1960, B.J. wakes up in an asylum, unaware of his past. He escapes, joins the Resistance, and helps defeat the Nazis.
After Activision gave publishing rights to Bethesda Softworks, The New Order was developed by MachineGames starting in 2010.
The Old Blood is a prequel to The New Order. It follows B.J. and Agent One as they infiltrate Castle Wolfenstein to find General Deathshead’s location. Agent One is killed, but B.J. escapes. He later learns about supernatural activities led by a Nazi scientist named Helga von Schabbs.
The game is a remake of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, with similar storylines and characters. It was developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks in 2015.
The New Order: Wolfenstein takes place five months after the events of The New Order. B.J. awakens from a coma on a stolen Nazi submarine. After an attack on a resistance base, B.J. takes leadership of the group and plans to free America from Nazi control.
Television series
In 2012, movie producer Samuel Hadida and Panorama Media announced plans to create a film version of Wolfenstein. Roger Avary was to write and direct the movie.
In July 2025, Amazon MGM Studios announced that a TV series version of Wolfenstein was being developed. Patrick Somerville was the creator and showrunner, and Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, Athena Wickham, James Altman, and Jerk Gustafsson were the executive producers.