Three Atomic Heart Controversies You Might Have Missed

Atomic Heart is based on Soviet Union’s post-war reestablish where human society collaborated with robots for more lavish efficiency. But due to a war between Russia and Ukraine, people are creating debates around the game. Here are three Atomic Heart controversies you need to know.

Three Atomic Heart Controversies

1. Mundfish Sparks Outrage for Using Images of Drones Used in War Against Ukraine

In a jarring revelation, it has come to light that the game development studio, Mundfish, has incorporated images of the infamous Geran-2 drones into their video game Atomic Heart.

The troubling discovery was initially brought to the public’s attention by a vigilant Twitter user with the pseudonym, Weitergeo. In an accusatory tone, the user highlighted that the drone in the game was carrying a flower in a pot, specifically a geranium.

This is a screenshot from the #AtomicHeart game. The drone carrying a flower in the pot. What's wrong with it, you will ask. Well… The flower is Geranium (Герань), do you know what russians call the Iranian drones that are killing civilians in Ukraine? Exactly, ГЕРАНЬ-2 pic.twitter.com/AeAoiz6vbi

— Yehor Chekalkin (@weitergeo) February 21, 2023

This, in turn, added another layer of confusion to the situation, as the Russian Federation allegedly labels the Iranian kamikaze drones they use in the ongoing war in Ukraine as “Geranium-2.”

It is essential to note that such imagery is not only unsettling but also sheds light on the geopolitical complexities of the gaming industry. Incorporating such imagery into a Russian-developed game raises questions about the intentions and allegiances of the game developers.

2. Atomic Heart Sparks Outrage for Using Images of Occupied Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia

The game development studio, Mundfish, has perplexed the public by utilizing a photo of the temporarily occupied city of Donetsk in their highly-anticipated game, Atomic Heart. The startling discovery was brought to light by a Twitter user with the enigmatic nickname, Gadzhega.

It has been revealed that the photos were taken from a Soviet photo album titled “Donetsk 1962,” thus injecting a perplexing historical element into the controversy.

Furthermore, the plot thickens as avid game fans discover another Ukrainian city, Zaporizhzhia, within the game’s photos, adding a layer of complexity to this contentious situation.

3. Ukrainian Developers Join Forces with Mundfish for Atomic Heart

According to dev.ua, the dynamic of Ukrainians contributing to the game development company Mundfish, which is responsible for the creation of Atomic Heart, manifests a perplexing interplay within the narrative of Russian propaganda surrounding “fraternal nations.”

Notably, the geographical background of the developers reveals a striking paradox:

• One of the developers hails from Kharkiv, a city that has been subjected to Russia’s evil destruction, reducing it by a staggering 50% and continues to be incessantly shelled daily,
• The other has received formal education in Kryvyi Rih, a city almost submerged by Russia and is still bombarded by rockets.

Despite the overwhelming adversities and geopolitical tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the joint venture of Russian and Ukrainian developers working on the game serves as a fraction of unity in the industry.

Info on Developers

According to the Mundfish’s official About-us page, 130 professionals from diverse countries, including Poland, Ukraine, Austria, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Israel, among others, collaborate on the development of Atomic Heart.

Ironically, the intricacies of the developers’ backgrounds are lost amid this collaboration. The journalist at dev.ua, through extensive investigation of the LinkedIn profiles of Mundfish employees, uncovered the presence of Ukrainians working in the company’s Russian office.

For instance, one of them is the Kharkiv Senior 3D Animator, Dima Moskichov, who has been an integral part of the company for nearly three years, and the other is the 3D Environment Artist, Yaroslav Suprun, who graduated from Kryvyi Rih National University and has been working at Mundfish for slightly over a year.

Conclusion

It is essential to note that the release of Atomic Heart, which features a KGB agent as its protagonist, traversing the terrain of an uncollapsed Soviet Union while hunting for robots, took place on February 21, 2023. The Russian conglomerate, Gazprom, financed the game in part, adding a geopolitical dimension to the debate surrounding using Ukrainian photos in a game developed by Mundfish.