Atomic Heart released last month with people accusing the developers Mundfish of financially helping Russia in the ongoing war against Ukraine.
Has Mundfish said anything about supporting Russia’s war?
They have denied all allegations by making a. statement on their Twitter account and reiterating on their website: “Mundfish has no tie to any government. Investors and shareholders of Atomic Heart are not associated with any government organisations or companies, and all are located in Europe. All benefits and profits related to Atomic Heart will apply in accordance with the tax laws of the European Union.”
In another tweets, Mundfish says it is a “pro-peace organization against violence
against people.” It has not commented specifically on the war in Ukraine, saying
it “does not comment on politics or religion.”
Is Mundfish from Russia?
On their website they claim to ‘have built an incredible team of 130 creatives from ten countries including Poland, Armenia, UAE, Serbia, Ukraine, Austria, Georgia, Israel and Cyprus’, and have indeed left out Russia, by naming nine countries out of ten.
They have stated they are now based in Cyprus, after an article dating back to 2018
revealed they originated in Moscow – a detail that is nowhere to be seen on their website, although they announced on their Discord how they were opening a second office there. Fast forward to 2023, Russia’s war against Ukraine has yet to stop and there is no clear indication of what happened to Mundfish’s Moscow offices.
What about investors?
On the original version of their website they state three major investors: Tencent, Gaijin Entertainment and GEM Capital. Gaijin is a Hungarian- based video game company,Tencent is a Chinese technology conglomerate, who currently has ties with Russia, and GEM Capital is an investment company based in Cyprus, founded by Anatoly Paliy, a former executive of Russian state- owned energy company Gazprom.
All three companies had connections with Russia before 2022, but now they have either cut ties with it, or have made no statement in relation to it.
What else were they accused of?
The Mundfish Store Privacy Policy included a section that said users data may be collected and given to Russian authorities, but the developers have since denied it to GamesRadar+, stating: “Our game and website DO NOT collect any information or data.
“The website’s privacy statement is outdated and wrong, and should have been
removed years ago. We have shut down the shop to assure our fans of the integrity of
our studio and products. We apologise for any confusion on this matter.”
There have been concerns over money going to the Russian state. Mykhailo
Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation, shared official requests he made on Twitter to ban sales of Atomic Heart.
Fedorov further said “As Mundfish has Russian management and offices, there is a potential risk that money raised from the purchases of the game will be transferred to Russia’s budget, so it will be used to fund war against Ukraine.”
Should I buy or not buy the game?
If you don’t want to spend your money on Atomic Heart, due to Russia’s complex situation with companies that were once funded there before moving elsewhere, then avoid purchasing Atomic Heart.