Uwe Boll’s Controversial ‘Citizen Vigilante’ Is Somehow Getting Its Own Video Game

Uwe Boll built his entire early career on turning video games into movies, cranking out widely mocked adaptations like ‘BloodRayne,’ ‘Alone in the Dark,’ and ‘Far Cry’ throughout the 2000s. For years, that formula only ever ran in one direction, with games feeding his film career rather than the other way around.

That pattern has now flipped entirely with his latest and most talked-about project, ‘Citizen Vigilante.’ The film stars Armie Hammer as a wealthy businessman who transforms into a vigilante hunting down criminals and corrupt officials, and it became one of the most controversial theatrical releases of the summer after drawing criticism over its anti immigrant messaging.

In an unexpected role reversal, Boll has now confirmed that ‘Citizen Vigilante’ is getting its own video game adaptation, officially titled ‘Citizen Vigilante: The Video Game.’ German developer Polygon Art is behind the project, with the release set to arrive on PlayStation 5 on July 17.

According to the game’s official description, players will step into the role of Hammer’s character Sanders in a story driven action campaign spread across eight missions in a large urban environment. The experience promises brutal gunfights, vehicle sequences, and an original soundtrack pulled directly from the film itself, alongside combat built around graphic violence including dismemberment.

Boll addressed the reasoning behind the project’s themes in comments to Dexerto, explaining that the story reflects frustration over criminals who avoid meaningful consequences. He pointed specifically to cases in Germany where he felt serious offenders were not properly punished or removed from the country, framing the vigilante narrative as a response to that perceived failure of the justice system.

That framing has followed the film since its release, with ‘Citizen Vigilante’ facing an outright ban in Germany after regulators there determined it incited violence against migrants. The controversy only grew louder once Elon Musk stepped in to promote the movie, uploading the entire film to his platform for free over a 48-hour stretch and helping it secure a wider international distribution deal shortly afterward.

Despite the backlash, the film reportedly became the top-selling title on both the Apple TV Store and Amazon Prime Video following its digital release, a commercial result that stands in sharp contrast to its overwhelmingly negative critical reception. Reviewers broadly criticized the film’s plot, execution, and messaging, even as several right-leaning commentators praised it.

Hammer’s own relationship to the finished product has reportedly grown complicated as well, with a report from Puck describing him as visibly shaken and regretful after watching the completed film for the first time. Boll has nonetheless expressed confidence that Hammer would be open to returning for a potential sequel, which he says he hopes to produce as early as 2027 if the current release generates enough money to fund it.

Whether audiences respond to the video game the way they did to the film’s surprising commercial success remains to be seen once it actually arrives on PlayStation next week.

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