“Tatort” today from Munich: Batic and Leitmayr are investigating in the gaming scene

“Tatort” from Munich
Between fame and intoxication: Batic and Leitmayr are investigating the gaming scene

The murder of a young police officer leads Munich investigators Batic and Leitmayr into the gaming scene. You’ll find a world where the lines between fun and addiction are blurred.

What’s the matter?

The young patrol officer Lena Wagensonner (Xenia Benevolenskaya) is shot at a traffic stop. She succumbed to her injuries in the hospital a little later. Before she died, she was able to leave a note on a surgical glove: the letters “KOL” – an indication that the perpetrator could be a colleague. In fact, inspectors Franz Leitmayr (Udo Wachtveitl) and Ivo Batic (Miroslav Nemec) take up investigations in their own ranks after another body has been found. The dead man’s name is Michael Hetsch (Mauricio Hölzemann). He was active in the gaming scene and was a member of an online gaming group called “Munich Sheriffs”. There he gambled together with police officers, who, however, all acted with anonymous player names. In order to get the officials’ real names, Batic and Leitmayr ask Oskar Weber (Yuri Völsch) for help. The student is a star of the gaming scene, but also pursues his own interests: he wants to win a major e-sports tournament and any means are fine for him to do so.

Why is the Game Over case worth it?

Video games, messenger services, chat forums: the gaming scene is completely foreign territory for Batic and Leitmayr. It’s amusing to see how they initially approach the industry with skepticism and reservations, but then delve deeper and deeper. For example, when Batic says about e-sports: “It’s not a sport. They just sit around all the time.” Or his colleague Leitmayr soberly comments on an e-sports tournament: “People who stare at people as they stare at screens.” It’s a point of view that many viewers should understand. In fact, the esports industry has grown immensely in recent years. Prize money in the millions is paid out at tournaments. However, the film not only shows the fascination of computer games, but also looks at the dangers: how the pleasure of playing can turn into gambling addiction and this already begins in children’s and young people’s rooms.

What bothers?

In order to stage the gaming theme credibly, director Lancelot von Naso repeatedly inserted scenes from the first-person shooter game Counter-Strike in the crime thriller. The frequencies are loud, fast, sometimes brutal. In addition, the film uses terms such as cheat, aimbot or Raspberry Pi as a matter of course: Those who are not at all familiar with the gaming or computer industry could be put off by this. No matter how hard Batic and Leitmayr try to clarify the matter.

The commissioners?

This time, assistant Kalli Hammermann (Ferdinand Hofer) is superior to his experienced colleagues Batic and Leitmayr – at least as far as computer and video game expertise is concerned. The young police officer comes out as a fan of the gaming scene and throws himself enthusiastically into the investigation. In doing so, however, Kalli himself is in danger.

Turn on or off?

If you have an affinity for gaming, you are welcome to tune in. Everyone else can save themselves this “crime scene”.

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