Recently in Enlisted, there have been more and more attempts to give soldiers captured weapons from other nations. Personally, I believe this trend negatively affects the overall direction of the game.
Of course, it’s true that captured equipment was sometimes used in real wartime situations. However, if such weapons are repeatedly added in-game, it risks eroding the unique identity and characteristics of each faction.
For instance, Germany received a shortened version of the PPSh, the U.S. got the German Ofenrohr, and now Japan is receiving the American M2 Carbine.
Just imagine a Japanese soldier using an M2 Carbine fighting against an American soldier with the same weapon — doesn’t that seem strange?
Moreover, reusing existing weapons and rebranding them as “captured” versions doesn’t feel like creative content, but rather a recycled copy of what we already have.
As an example, the U.S. recently received the Ofenrohr, which is essentially the same model and stats as the existing German one. But the U.S. already had the M20 “Super Bazooka” — a weapon that would have made much more sense historically and thematically.
I’m not saying the game should strictly follow historical accuracy. Enlisted is not that kind of game — gameplay and balance also matter.
However, the continued addition of captured weapons gradually removes the uniqueness of each nation and makes the game feel less original.
If captured weapons must be added, I believe they should be limited to special situations — such as events or premium squads — not given out as regular equipment. After all, not every soldier in real history used captured gear.
German PPSh partisan premium squad and the Soviet MP40 partisan premium squad recently added to the game are good examples.
By limiting captured weapons to specific premium squads, the game maintains faction identity while still allowing players to enjoy unique weapon combinations.
