The Ukraine Ministry of Digital Affairs asks Sony, Microsoft, and Valve to ban the game Atomic Heart in the territory of Ukraine. The Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Oleksandr Bornyakov issued a statement “We also call for limiting the distribution of this game in other countries due to its toxicity, the potential collection of user data information and the possibility of their transfer to third parties in Russia, as well as the potential use of money raised from game purchases to wage war against Ukraine.”

With its recent release as of February 21, Atomic Heart is an action role-playing game developed by a Russian studio called Mundfish. The game takes place in an alternate universe where the Soviet Union has been experimenting with creating robots and other advanced technology. 

“We urge all users to ignore this game. We would also like to emphasize for the Western audience that the developers of the game did not come out with a public statement condemning the Putin regime and the bloody war that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine,” Bornyakov said.

The Ukraine Ministry of Digital Affairs released a statement on their website stating, “According to media reports, the development of the game took place with money originating from Russian enterprises and banks that were under sanctions and are systemically important for the Russian government.

Mundfish has been gaining a lot of backlash due to one of its funders, GEM Capital, which is funded by both VTB Bank and Gazprom which the Russian government owns a majority of. Combined with the ongoing events in Ukraine a lot of players are choosing to boycott Atomic Heart. 

Mick Gordon, an Australian composer who had created music for Atomic Heart, released a statement on Twitter.

My musical contribution to #AtomicHeart will also support a greater cause. I’ve donated my fee to @RedCrossAU’s Ukraine Crisis Appeal to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
If you’re able to, please consider donating.
Together we can make a difference. #SupportUkraine pic.twitter.com/ADVZiWafw8

— Mick Gordon (@Mick_Gordon) February 14, 2023

As of the second day of release, Atomic Heart on Steam currently has over 4.5 thousand reviews and is sitting at an 88% positive rating.