Those who want to play hard shooters 18 and older should hurry. Because soon it will be over in Germany – unless you join the military.
Since 2026, Germany has partially reintroduced conscription and is trying to generate new recruits to train them as soldiers. It was suspected in advance that voluntary participation might not achieve enough men and women, and now we have certainty. Therefore, the federal government wants to pass a law that could also affect all gamers – drastically limiting which games can be played in Germany.
War games only for soldiers, with one exception
What is the idea? Video games that involve firearms and are rated “18+” or even “not suitable for minors” by the USK will no longer be available for sale, neither in stores nor on digital platforms like Steam, the Epic Games Store, or Battle.net.
Instead, these games must be stored separately and can only be handed over to individuals who meet one of the following criteria:
- Currently serving in the military.
- Previously served in the military.
- Professional soldier.
- Has reached the age of 67 by the cut-off date (01.05.2026).
- Holds the
BBSSL BDR
(further below in the article)
Exceptions should be made for already existing, internationally active, professional players (“eSports athletes”). They are allowed to continue playing the game in which they pursue their careers as long as they participate in at least three international tournaments per year.
From the Federal Minister of Defense Pistolius, it is stated:
We have understood that military service needs to become more attractive for young men and women. Financial incentives have apparently not been sufficient, which is why we now want to create new privileges for all who are ready to defend our country in case of doubt.
Video games are popular among the younger generation, and at the same time we have been trying for years to combat the devastating socio-cultural consequences of these killing games. This solution creates a compromise that all government parties and even large parts of the opposition agreed upon.
This aims not only to recruit new soldiers but also to save costs. Because video games could, at least temporarily, become part of the training:
We have noted that for many new recruits we cannot procure sufficient equipment quickly enough. Therefore, we are basically hitting two birds with one stone. Many screen games have a high degree of realism and therefore can serve as accompanying support during basic training until appropriate barracks and military recruitment offices can be rebuilt.
What does this mean for game collections? According to the government spokesperson, there will be a transitional regulation until the end of 2026. From 01.05.2026, that is in one month, all platforms must restrict access to shooter category games for all persons living in Germany. The restriction will be lifted once proof of the above criteria has been provided. Otherwise, by 01.01.2027, the games will be removed from collections.
We expect to have a significant influx of volunteers starting May 1 and the federal government’s targets will be met beyond the capacities of the Bundeswehr as early as August.
Internships should allow gaming, attract more people to the military
The change in the law is accompanied by the fact that the Bundeswehr also wants to allow new participation opportunities. In addition to military service and the obligation as a professional soldier, there should be the possibility of a trial internship, where one can get a glimpse into the profession for 2 weeks.
However, due to the state of the federal budget, the internship will not be financially compensated, but one will receive a BBSSL BDR
, the moving image game license of the Federal Republic of Germany. With this, one can also play shooters for 6 months (180 days) after completing the internship. The Bundeswehr stated:
The duration of two calendar weeks is perfect for completing the internship during school holidays or company holidays. We expect that interested individuals will complete the internship multiple times because their interest in the Bundeswehr will surely increase.
When asked whether young people would not use the offer simply to be able to play shooters again, it was replied:
That is completely absurd and contradicts all predictions. I believe we should trust our youth to take on a bit more personal responsibility. We are sure that we will primarily appeal to young individuals who genuinely aspire to a career with us. The temporary gaming license is merely a nice bonus and we cannot imagine that it would be the primary motivation behind applying for an internship position.
This is the response from the rest of politics: There is much support from the party “Die Linke”, but they feel these proposals do not go far enough. A spokesperson for the party stated that they “welcome the initiative to dare more digitalization in the training of recruits.” However, this could only be “the first step.”
For the future, they hope that not only the training will be digitalized, but also warfare in its entirety. The next step must be to “completely abolish physical weapons and only carry out military conflicts, if they cannot be avoided, digitally.” The great hope is that “Germany will be a pioneer and that all other countries will surely follow suit.” If this does not work out, then we can still see how to deal with the situation afterwards.
Only the AfD has criticized the proposal. Bernd Höcke stated that “it borders on treason when German soldiers are trained with foreign video games” and that “soft, unpatriotic and fundamentally un-German values” such as “compassion, sympathy, and tolerance” would be “indoctrinated” through these games. He instead recommends that the training be conducted with games that convey “core German values,” such as Escape from Tarkov.
How does the USK handle this? Until now, the USK was responsible for checking the age rating of games in Germany. This will also change with the new law. In the future, the USK will be released from these tasks if it involves games that contain firearms in any form or depiction
. In such cases, the classification will then be performed directly by the Ministry of Defense.
Critics fear that in the future all games with weapons will be classified as 18+
, so that this measure will attract more young people and these games can only be played if one decides for military service.
The Ministry of Defense rejects these allegations and explains:
Only a very small part of the moving image games will fall under the direct evaluation of our ministry. According to initial estimates, this mainly affects small niche games that most citizens probably have never heard of, such as Counter-Strike or Grand Theft Auto VI. The vast majority of the digital gaming landscape remains unaffected by this.
What about conscientious objectors? Those who do not want to join the Bundeswehr or have been dismissed need not worry about their shooter collection, as this has also been taken into account by the federal government. If one opts for a substitute service (voluntary social year or new civil service), one can also apply for the release and acquisition of shooter games via a document from the federal government.
In such a case, game manufacturers must ensure that the affected individuals can only embody non-combatants, such as characters in logistics or medical service, who can only access firearms for self-defense. Furthermore, proof of possessing the relevant driver’s license classes must be provided; otherwise, vehicles can only be accessed as passengers.
The draft law has not yet been passed by the Bundestag, but the Chancellor considers the success of the vote tomorrow, April 2, 2026, to be “as certain as the Christian values in the Union” – and that surely means something.
