Gallipoli video game puts players in the trenches of Australia’s most famous battle
Gallipoli Ottoman Fronts recreates the 1915 campaign as a first-person shooter, prompting debate over historical accuracy, war entertainment and respect for Anzac sacrifice.
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
A new video game recreating the Gallipoli campaign has placed players at the centre of one of Australia’s most significant military battles, prompting debate over whether the sacrifices of the Anzacs should be used as entertainment.
More than 7,500 Australians were killed during the Allied forces’ eight-month campaign to break through Ottoman lines after landing at what later became known as Anzac Cove on April 25, 1915. The campaign has now been recreated in Gallipoli Ottoman Fronts, the fourth First World War title from Dutch developer BlackMill Games.
The game places players in the role of ordinary soldiers serving with either the British or Ottoman empires. BlackMill Games describes it as an “authentic” first-person shooter featuring historical classes, realistic weapons and upgraded gameplay.
Players can fight across battlefields spanning the Gallipoli Peninsula, Lower Mesopotamia and Kut al Amara. The game includes missions involving control of the peninsula’s beaches, the defence of key positions and advances across the deserts of lower Mesopotamia.
“It’s a bit surreal being here,” BlackMill Games chief executive Jos Hoebe said during a promotional event at Seddülbahir Fortress on the Gallipoli Peninsula earlier in August.
“It’s also a bit meta. People are playing the game on the location where the actual battle happened,” he said.
The game’s release has triggered mixed reactions among Australians, with some questioning whether a military tragedy should be recreated for entertainment.
One Australian told 7NEWS that the game could be acceptable if it presented the campaign accurately.
“If it tells the true story of Gallipoli, yeah I think it’s OK, but if it glorifies the war then no,” the person said.
Another questioned promotional language encouraging players to master authentic weapons.
“Why does anyone need to master authentic weapons?” the person said.
A third Australian, whose grandfather fought at Gallipoli, said developers needed to be “very careful” when recreating the campaign.
The Australian War Memorial did not provide comment when approached on Tuesday. The Returned and Services League said the game had not been brought to its attention but urged people to engage with it respectfully.
“We encourage anyone engaging with this ... to do so thoughtfully, with respect,” the RSL said.
The Directorate of Gallipoli Historical Site, which manages and protects the Gallipoli Peninsula, expressed support for the game’s potential to introduce younger audiences to the history of the campaign.
The directorate’s president, İsmail Kaşdemir, said games were “one of the most effective ways to reach children and young people”.
“I hope this game will increase interest in Çanakkale, Gallipoli, both in Türkiye and around the world, encouraging more people to visit and learn about this historic land,” Kaşdemir said.
He said Turkish children would be able to play as Turkish heroes, while international players could develop a deeper understanding of the Çanakkale campaign.
“Although the war ended 111 years ago with a great Turkish victory, today these lands, under the Turkish flag, stand for peace, tranquillity, and well-being,” Kaşdemir said.
“We are determined to preserve this peace and safeguard the memories and heritage entrusted to us.”
Hoebe said BlackMill Games was proud to have worked with the Directorate of Gallipoli Historical Site.
“By working together, we can help bring the history of the Gallipoli Front to a much wider audience and encourage a deeper understanding of the battles and the people who shaped this important chapter of history,” he said.
“For us, it is meaningful recognition of how games can serve as a powerful medium for engaging new audiences with historical heritage.”
Game Reactor described Gallipoli Ottoman Fronts as “brutal, slow-paced, and historically accurate” in its review. The assessment reflects the game’s attempt to portray the campaign through difficult battlefield conditions and historically based combat, although the controversy over turning the Gallipoli campaign into an interactive shooter remains.
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