A method for reducing iron-oxide-containing feedstocks by introducing a reducing gas into a high-pressure reducing unit (1) where the reducing gas is consumed by reducing iron-oxide-containing feedstocks and then the reducing gas is withdrawn as top gas from the high-pressure reducing unit (1). At least one subportion of the top gas is admixed to a feed gas as recycle gas (15). The reducing gas is generated by CO2 being separated off from the gas mixture obtained from the addition of the recycle gas (15) to the feed gas after one or more compression steps. The recycle gas (15) is added to the feed gas in at least two recycle gas substreams that are separated from one another with recycle gas substream pressures at various distances from the high-pressure reducing unit (1).