WMG / Wolfenstein: The New Order

Wolfenstein: The New Order will involve Time Travel.

The original Wolfenstein 3-D ended with B.J. killing Hitler in his bunker. As well, it seems that even a One-Man Army like Blazkowicz might not be able to take on the whole Nazi war machine by himself. So I'm thinking, in the climax, B.J. goes back in time to the last days of WWII and kills Hitler like he did back in Wolf3D.

• It's also stated in the E3 Trailer that "They beat us to The Bomb... No one knows how." If the nuking of NYC was the main divergence point of this Alternate History, then the Set Right What Once Went Wrong level will involve stopping the Nazis from developing nuclear weapons before (if not outright stealing them from) the United States. Bonus points if it involves B.J. performing a Heroic Sacrifice by setting the bomb off before it's used against the United States.
  • Jossed, Nazi's obtained their technology from discovering a ancient cache of Jewish Super-Tech. Also, New York's destruction is not the main divergence point.

As an alternate scenario to the above Time Travel theory, Deathshead will have used a Time Dilation Device to develop atomic weaponry before the Allies.

In Wolfenstein (2009), Time Dilation was actively used by both the player and the Veil Scribes to enable rapid movement relative to their enemy. Although the Black Sun portal was destroyed by B.J. at the end of the game, either Deathshead had already discovered a way to create Black Sun energy without access to the actual realm, or the Veil energy tanks scattered throughout the game were unaffected by the portal's destruction. In either case, all that was then required was to create a device capable of simulating the Mire effect over the space of a whole research base. Destroying this device at the conclusion of the game could also have the possible effect of serving as a Reset Button to Set Right What Once Went Wrong.

• Jossed, see above.

A Bittersweet Ending will ensue.

Perhaps realizing that the Nazis are still too powerful to make any difference, As mentioned above, a Reset Button will occur for BJ to warn them about the eventual Nazi victory at the cost of him being erased from existence. But The New Order BJ would consider this sacrifice necessary and knows that his past self will help the Allies win the war. Perhaps using the technology against them.

• The ending being Bittersweet is semi-Confirmed, the game ends with a heavily injured BJ ordering a nuclear strike on a building he is trapped in as his allies fly away, but it suddenly cuts to credits before we can know what happened next.

Hitler is not the Führer.

Because B.J. already killed Hitler in Wolfenstein 3-D. A news clipping in the opening level describes how "the Führer" wants peace without ever mentioning his name. The guard in London who says "Heil Hitler" may just be doing so as a kind of Artifact Phrase. Plus, with Hitler dead, someone more competent may have taken over, which may be part of the reason why the Nazis have managed to drag the war to 1946 in their favor. This was actually one of the main reasons why the Allies ceased assassination attempts on Hitler in Real Life: they knew he was a buffoon when it came to military operations and wanted to keep it that way.

• Adolf Hitler survived, as he commissioned the construction of the Monuments of Truth to commemorate the Nazi victory.
• Also keep in mind that the events of Wolfenstein 3-D were retconned by Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which a retelling and does not feature the killing of Hitler. Blazkowicz is referred to in a memo in The Old Blood as an "assailant" of Hitler, muddying the waters a bit. A diary mentions Hitler stinking really badly by 1946, which could either be poor hygiene or Nazi necromancy.
• There is one other candidate for a Nazi leader named Hitler: Adolf's half-nephew Heinrich.
• Hitler shows up in the sequel on Venus. He's gotten pretty senile at this point, so it's likely he's been filed out of the way while the likes of Engel and Deathshead are running the show.

Anya is Ramona.

During the course of the game, Anya will send you recordings of her cousin Ramona's diary (all of which you can listen to here.) In these recordings, Ramona talks in depth about how she killed high ranking Nazi officials and became the "Matawies killer". Interestingly, Ramona's age, history in college, and crush on B.J. Blazkowicz all line up perfectly with Anya's life.

• While it's not perfectly visible, the image of her holding the diary reads "Należy do Anya", which means "Belongs to Anya". So pretty much confirmed.
• Essentially confirmed with the last entry. Anya pretty much states that 'some of the things happened to her' as she explains why she shared the entries.

Max was a rejected Supersoldat.

Max has a massive scar on his forehead consistent with undergoing a lobotomy, which is highly likely to be the reason he is mentally a small child. In all other regards, however, he is an epitome of Aryan ideals: his name indicates German descent, and he's a giant of superhuman strength and endurance that kicks loads of ass when the Nazis mortally wound Klaus, and shrugs off a number of bullets with more impunity than BJ himself. It's possible he may have underwent physical and chemical augmentation to become one of the "Supersoldaten" — the hulking, minigun-wielding enemies in Powered Armor. However, Max was deemed unfit for unknown reasons, likely because he refused to be violent. His lobotomy may have been either standard procedure to make the Supersoldaten ruthless killing machines unable to question orders, or an failed attempt to alter his personality when he showed disobedience.

• Alternately, Max may have been a mental patient to begin with, but was taken away by the Nazis for experiments as they are shown doing.
• Assuming a direct sequel is made, we may see Max recover some part of his faculties and memory... then don a Supersoldat armor to fight on the resistance's side now that he has no qualms with fighting to avenge Klaus.
• The Sequel may hint that this is true. In a party, BJ punches Max in the head and recoils from the pain. BJ at this point is in a synthetic Supersoldat body with cybernetics, yet Max was completely unfazed by the punch. When Max tries the same with BJ, it sends BJ flying. Considering Max is seen tanking machinegun fire in New Order without so much as flinching, he either massively won the genetic lottery on the physical front or indeed a subject of the Supersoldaten programme.

In The Inevitable Sequel, Anya Will Be The Player Character

While she doesn't become a total inhuman powerhouse, Anya clearly becomes more and more combat-savvy as the game goes on. Additionally, the final moments of the game have a very Passing the Torch feel to them. Given what type of game this is, BJ most likely survives, but playing as Anya in the next game would let players start off right in the resistance, and she could end up finding BJ again sometime later. Besides, how cool would it be to have a female protagonist in a game like this?

• Dude, you need to make the next game.
• Anya already has combat experience if "Ramona" is any indication.
• Unlikely since BJ has been the hero of every game so far, and Anya is a supporting character only introduced in the most recent game and never demonstrated fighting ability anywhere close to what BJ is capable of.
  • She is, however, a trained Nazi killer, and can be heard asking for firearms training/shooting lessons if you lurk around for long enough.
• The sequel is called The New Colossus. That is also the name of a poem about the Statue of Liberty that BJ quotes at the end that perfectly describes Anya at that moment.
• Jossed. As of the release of the first New Colossus trailer, it appears that B.J. will still be the protagonist.

This isn't the last we've seen of Deathshead.

At least, not chronologically. He ends up in Hell (obviously) and decides to work with the demons. He uses his robotics knowledge to create enhanced cybernetic demons... Or, should I say, Cyberdemons!

• It would be very ironic if a man who preferred science to occult continued his evil deeds by occult means. Alternately, considering how much of a genius he was, and that he probably already did some experiments on himself (by The New Order he is 100 years old and still in good shape), it wouldn't be a surprise if we saw him again in some "imperfect" form, like a clone (he'd be a young version of himself but age rapidly) or a copy of his mind in an experimental super-computer.

Wolfenstein - The New Order and Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade take place in the same universe.

In-game, certain newspaper clippings document the Nazi invasion of China, which ends with Imperial Japan being subjugated and annexed by their former allies. The backstory to Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade dictates that it is set in an alternate timeline where, like in New Order, the Nazis won the war and occupied Japan. When does Wolf Brigade take place? The 1960s - the same decade as New Order. This means the Kerberos Panzer Korps would be a regional variant of the retro-futuristic Nazi soldiers running about in the game, using similar equipment to the Deathshead Commandos of New Order, but only left with outdated, surplus German arms like the MG-42 and Mauser pistols given to them by their Nazi "benefactors".

As we never visit Japan in New Order, it can be assumed that this, or something eerily similar to it, is the state of Japan and possibly Asia as a whole during the games timeline. Furthermore, the destruction of Deathshead's Compound and Blazkowicz's unclear fate hint to the Nazi empire falling apart. Again, in Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, the backstory tells us that Germany "pulled out" of Japan in the early sixties, around the same time as the games ending, throwing it into political and economic turmoil. Jin-Roh is a microcosmic continuation of the worlds story in this new timeline.

Deathshead is secretly in control of Germany in this timeline

Elaborating on the "Hitler is no longer the Führer" theory, following the failure of Project Veil, Deathshead organized a coup that overthrew Hitler and installed a more malleable candidate in his place. With Hitler no longer micromanaging military affairs or indulging in his obsession with mystical forces like the Veil, this allowed Deathshead more free reign to conduct his experiments, resulting in the reverse engineering of the Da'at Yichud's technology that enabled the Nazis to win the war. With the credit of having won the war, Deathshead likely gained enough clout in the Third Reich's inner circle to effectively control the entire government by proxy. It would also explain why when the Kreisau Circle launched their counterattack, their target was not whoever was the Führer by that time, but Deathshead.

Wyatt's Scars.

While it may or may not be canon, the book, The Art of Wolfenstein: The New Order, posits that J got his facial scars from the nuclear bombing of New York City. If you look closely, you can see that Wyatt has similar (but less severe) scarring on his neck; early concept art even had him missing his right eye. If Wyatt got these scars when J did, it would definitely explain how they met and why J is in Wyatt's timeline. However, that doesn't explain why Fergus has identical scarring...

• It's possible they received their burns when they got blown out of the incinerator room as it exploded when they escaped from Deathshead's Compound in 1946 (and where B.J. got that piece of shrapnel embedded in his skull).

The sequels/expansions of this game will focus on different "Theaters" of the Nazi world

Since much of the original game was still stomping around (an admittedly heavily altered) Europe, and yet so many events outside of it, there will be several other "campaigns" outside of it, bolstered by the Kreisau Circle causing mayhem within Europe, and killing off Deathshead (bonus points if it's also because the Nazi Empire is sent into a political panic if the "Deathshead is secretly in control of Germany" WMG posted above is correct). They are as follows:

• Invaded States of America: Although we don't get much details, it's obviously gotten to the point that death camps have been installed. However, to mix things up a bit, (and probably cause a LOT of controversy in the process), the Germanic Nazis are going to be bolstered by the support of equally-vile American Nazis - echoing the Truth in Television that some political groups in America actually supported the Nazi regime before America entered the war (like the German American Bund), and giving a fitting testament to J's words of how Americans were basically Nazis to African-Americans. In addition to having the usual Mooks smack-talking you in English as well as German, there may also be Ku Klux Klan militias, American weapons getting the Diesel Punk treatment, and another, American-based resistance movement dragging in HistoricalDomainCharacters from the Civil Rights Era, like John F. Kennedy (a Real Life World War 2 Vet), Malcolm X (one of the most prominent and controversial black militant leaders - this time completely justified), and Jimi Hendrix, a.k.a. "J", if this is during the Fergus Timeline, and he isn't Killed Off for Real like the Wyatt timeline.
  • Confirmed! The trailer for The New Colossus even has Klansmen in it.
• Russia: The part where the Soviet government was overthrown after Stalin supposedly "disappeared" (or was killed by his subordinates) will return as the Russia-based resistance group, having been based out of Siberia while a Nazi-aligned fascist government was established in mainland Russia. Expect AllohistoricalAllusions for both the Soviet campaign in World War 2 (like the SECOND Battles of Moscow, Stalingrad, Leningrad, etc., followed by the "real" Battle of Berlin), and during the Cold War era, like launching an operation in Cuba to get missile technology, launching cosmonauts into space, tearing down the Berlin Wall (in this case, a last-ditch defense by the Nazis after the Red Army chases them back to Germany). Expect Soviet Super Science to counter Stupid Mecha Nazis, and Tekla being the Kreisau Circle's liaison with the Russian resistance assuming it's during the Wyatt timline, and she isn't Killed Off for Real like the Fergus timeline.
• Africa: Africa is mentioned to be one of the last few "free" places of Nazi control, (although the Afrika Korps is doing it's best to put a stop to that), and it's possibly a good way to begin reintroducing the Ghostopo elements that were dropped by Deathshead's regime - like, say, if they try to use Egyptian based magic around Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza. Will likely feature Bombate as the Kreisau Circle's man on the ground.
• Asia: Includes both China and Japan, along with other countries in the South Pacific, with Red and Blue Chinese forced to work with Imperial Japanese after Nazi Germany conquered them all. Bonus points if occupied Japan is basically an In Name Only copy of the country during Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (see above WMG for details), and if the resistance involves more Animesque Mini-Mecha to fight the Diesel Punk MechaMooks of the Nazis.
• World War 3: This is the culmination of the DLCs/sequels, with the now free nations of the world ganging up on Nazi-occupied Europe - bonus points if this FINALLY pulls the Karma Houdini Warranty card on Frau Engel.

An expansion pack will be released where you play as Caroline and get to use the Da'at Yichud Power Suit

• This would create a whole new dimension of combat for the game, possibly focusing on verticality and smash/brawl based attacks rather than firearms. Story wise, it could be an epilogue taking place after the final level, similar to the Broken Steel DLC from Fallout 3.

B.J. hasn't aged much because the mystical energy he was exposed to slowed his aging

He spends 14 years in a catatonic state. When he wakes up in 1960, he's almost 50 years old, yet he still looks in his mid-thirties and has lost none of his muscle mass. It's like only a few days have passed for him. What if the prolonged exposure to occult energies, especially during the events of Wolfenstein, has ended up slowing his aging, or causing a very rapid cell regeneration, an effect that lasts even after the medallion was destroyed? That would also explain how B.J. shrugs off knife woulds so easily; of course he's not immune to dying violently, and he may be condemned to see everyone he still cares for die long before him, but he'd also be able terrorize the Nazis as long as they still exist.

• But Caroline Becker was also exposed to the Veil, and she's aged normally. B.J. is probably only like this because he's, well, B.J. Blazkowicz. Even his rapid healing in Wolfenstein (2009) was completely separate from the Thule medallion (he regenerates health during the first level, which is pretty Veil free).
  • There may be an explanation to Caroline aging "normally", in that she was captured by the Nazis before the end of Wolfenstein (2009) (therefore not being as exposed to the Veil as much as B.J. was), and also used up most of the Veil's magic she had accumulated on recovering from the Instant Death Bullet she received just before her capture. As for the whole "B.J. has regenerating health on the airship" thing, I'd either chalk it up as Gameplay and Story Segregation (especially since it only served as a warm-up level where it's not expected B.J. would take as much damage), or the Ghostopo magic accumulated from the earlier games gave B.J. health regeneration by Wolfenstein (2009). (Also, a minor note; the reason why his health regeneration is more limited in The New Order is because of how long he's been separated from the Veil and any other mystical force - it's still a constant factor of B.J., but it's still not as powerful as it was in Wolfenstein (2009)).
  • Caroline wasn't captured by the Nazis, though.

B.J. Blazkowicz: How did you survive? I thought you were dead.

Caroline Becker: Don't remember much. I remember punching Hans Grosse in the face. Remember ascending into the sky, for a moment there I thought I was going to heaven. Then falling. Then pain. Worst pain of my life, felt like my insides were running out through my back. Could barely move. Had to crawl. They found me after three days in a ditch. Long months in a Kreisau hospital bed.

Anya is pregnant

With Blazkowicz's child, of course. Perhaps he'll even get a game of his own.

• Likely, since Blazkowicz' descendant is the protagonist of DOOM. He must have had some kids.
• He also has a more direct descendant in his grandson, Billy Blaze. The change in last name implies B.J. had a daughter, or that they Anglicised the surname like "Juspeczyk" to "Jupiter" in Watchmen.
  • Confirmed by the trailers for The New Colossus, which will, however, take place no more than six or seven months after the first game. And she's carrying twins!

Commander Keen series shares the universe with Wolfenstein: The New Order

Commander Keen, or Billy Blaze (Blazkowicz) being descended from William is already known to be canonical. But how does a kid built an interstellar rocket ship all by himself, child genius or not? Nazi/Da'at Yichud technology that has advanced further in the 1990's of the Wolfenstein world.

Deathshead is a member of The Draka

• Lets See. What qualifies him? Using Human Resources. Being Dangerously Genre Savy. Having advanced technology even before he discovered the cabal of Da'at Yichud Tech. And the fact that he WON! Seriously he's a unstoppable mass murder whose cruelty is matched only by his genius.

Doctor Malcolm Betruger of DOOM is a descendant of Wilhelm Strasse.

Despite the obvious connection that they're the primary villain of their respective games, the two characters are remarkably alike. Both are top scientists in their field, serving in a position that technically answers to a higher authority, but are largely left to their own devices. Both have fairly apparent superiority complexes, along with a pathological disregard for others. Considering the Nazis of 1960 were planning a base on Venus, but likely did not yet understand how truly inhospitable Venus' atmosphere is, Betruger may have followed his forefather's dream to Mars instead. Betruger may also have been inspired by the failures of both the SS Paranormal Division and Strasse; each relied solely on the occult and the technological, respectively. Betruger may have decided a fusion of the two was necessary to prevail.

The New Order/The Old Blood follows from RTCW's co-op campaign.

Based purely on Agent One being alive and well at the beginning of The Old Blood; assuming "Agent One" is not simply a codename used by multiple individuals, it's possible that the co-op campaign from the console versions of Return to Castle Wolfenstein is canon, with Wesley and BJ having escaped from the castle together and reuniting 3 years later to infiltrate it again.

Himmler is no longer in command of the SS Paranormal Division by 1946.

RTCW made it pretty clear that Paranormal was his creation, and that Castle Wolfenstein was meant to serve as his own occult headquarters (much like Wewelsburg in real life). However, by The Old Blood, Agent One now says that the castle is owned by Helga von Schabbs. It seems possible that, given Germany's rapid ascendancy in the later years of the war, Himmler gradually took on a more and more hands-off role with the Paranormal Division, consumed more with his other duties as Reichsfuhrer SS. The presence of the distinctive swastika armbands and Sieg runes on "regular" Nazi troopers by '46 also seems to suggest that the SS was taking on a much larger role in Germany's military affairs by that time; it makes sense that Himmler would be busy then, too busy even to indulge in his own supernatural fancies. So with that being the case, he entrusted the division— along with stewardship of his castle— to Helga von Schabbs, who no doubt must have seemed like a worthy successor to him, given her own fascination with Germanic culture, history, and occult lore.

William Blazkowicz is a Da'at Yichud Super Soldier

It would kind of make sense, given what he is gone through.

• Alternately, both a Da'at Yichud designer baby and a accumulation of the occult magicks made Blazko the Nazi killing badass he is.

Wolfenstein: The New Order precedes the events of Dead Space

Despite the fall of the Reich, decades of Nazi rule had taken its toll, and habituated society to unification though it was no longer compulsory. The result was the development of a singular world government that would later be known as EarthGov. Though achieved through despicable means, the world saw technological advancement never before imagined, and carried that momentum forward with extra-planetary colonization and resource harvesting. While initially reluctant, the Da'at Yachud Order eventually became more cooperative with the integration of additional artifacts and advancements, notably the development and proliferation of Resource Integration Gear (RIGs), as well as improvements in space propulsion leading to the eventual creation of the first ShockPoint Drive.

After a long period of almost-utopic prosperity, dwindling resources on Earth lead to conflict and increasing desperation, ushering in a resurgence of the fascism thought gone centuries ago. Established societal ethics began to crumble as questionable experimentation and reckless operations became commonplace, directly resulting in the USG Ishimura incident and the events that follow.