The Awakening Prologue
From the ruins of Berlin to a waking nightmare, one soldier's fight spans two decades.
This narrative sequence serves as the opening chapter of Wolfenstein: The New Order, bridging the gap between World War II and the Cold War era of Nazi dominance. Often referred to by fans as 'The Awakening Prologue,' it encompasses B.J. Blazkowicz's final mission in 1946 Berlin and his subsequent awakening from a coma fifteen years later in 1960.
- Game
- Wolfenstein: The New Order
- Setting Years
- 1946 and 1960
- Protagonist
- B.J. Blazkowicz
- Primary Location
- Berlin, Germany / Asylum Facility
- Developer
- MachineGames
- Narrative Role
- Origin Story & Timeline Anchor
Lore & Background
The story then leaps forward to 1960. Blazkowicz awakens in a secret asylum, having been kept alive and experimented upon by Deathshead's forces. This awakening is not merely physical but ideological; he discovers the world has fallen entirely under Nazi control, forcing him to rally the scattered remnants of the resistance with Fergus Reid.
In Their Own Story
The cold metal of the examination table bit into B.J.'s skin as consciousness returned like a slow tide. The hum of machinery was deafening, replaced only by the distant clang of steel doors. He lifted his left arm—the weight was wrong, alien. Prosthetic gears whirred softly where flesh should have been. Through the haze of anesthesia and memory, he realized the war hadn't ended; it had merely changed uniforms.
Reader's Guide
This prologue establishes the baseline timeline for the MachineGames saga. The 1946 mission creates the initial conditions for the resistance network seen in later chapters. While this specific entry is linear, it anchors the 'Prime Timeline' referenced in Wolfenstein: The New Colossus and Youngblood. In subsequent titles, time mechanics become more complex, with parallel universes branching from key decisions made during these early years. However, within this prologue itself, there are no alternate paths; the events of 1946 and the awakening in 1960 are fixed points that drive the main narrative forward. Understanding this sequence is vital for grasping how later time-travel mechanics function. The divergence occurs not here, but in how the resistance reacts to B.J.'s return. This prologue cements the stakes: if he does not wake and fight, the Nazi regime remains unchallenged across all potential futures.
Did You Know?
- B.J. Blazkowicz loses his left arm during the 1946 Berlin mission.
- The prologue spans a fifteen-year gap between the two main segments.
- Fergus Reid is introduced as an ally during the 1946 sequence.
- Deathshead's experiments on B.J. are revealed upon his 1960 awakening.
More in Storylines & Timelines
Elsewhere in the Wolfenstein universe
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