Tencent is, well, Tencent, the Chinese tech behemoth that owns whole segments of the gaming industry, from a piece of Epic Games, Discord, and Ubisoft to Riot Games in its entirety. In early 2021, over a year before Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, Mundfish announced that it had secured funding from three key investors: Tencent, GEM Capital, and Gaijin Entertainment (the maker of War Thunder). (Image credit: Mundfish) Following the money: Mundfish's investors I've reached out to the studio to ask about its statement on the war, and I'll update this section if I hear back. It could be that Mundfish's tweet was an ungraceful attempt to thread a political needle without jeopardising itself, its staff, or those associated with either. Marking oneself as anti-war in that kind of environment is an act of profound courage and incredible risk. The Russian political scientist and anti-war activist Greg Yudin described this system as one that generates "incredible contempt and disdain for all kinds of politics" among Russians, who are "completely certain that there is no possible way to change anything through politics, that no change is possible in general". The Russian state has taken a hard line against any and all internal protest against its so-called " special military operation" in Ukraine, arresting thousands of protestors, threatening years in prison camps over anti-war social media posts, and charging a political opposition figure with treason for "spreading disinformation" about the Russian army.Įven when Russia isn't at war, the country maintains a deeply alienating political system that has entrenched power among a cabal of lackeys and oligarchs for decades. On the other hand, whether it's headquartered in Cyprus or not, Mundfish is a studio with Russian roots and Russian staff (with Russian family and Russian friends), as a 2019 article documenting a tour of its Moscow office will attest. A video from a Ukrainian YouTuber titled " Please, Don't Buy Atomic Heart"-which has managed to accrue nearly 2 million views in just over a week-highlighted the absurdity of a game based around an alt-history USSR claiming it doesn't "comment on politics," calling it "absolute nonsense" and "one step away from the types of gamers who say 'I don't like politics in my videogames' and then immediately open up Fallout". Mundfish's statements that it was only interested in "getting Atomic Heart into the hands of gamers everywhere," or that it was " For players who just want to play," struck some people as, at best, a marketing attempt to redirect the conversation surrounding its game or, at worst, some kind of tacit support for the actions of its original home country. "We're for all the good things and against all the bad ones" Sergey Mohov mocks Mundfish's statement Mundfish's reticence to even name the war in question sparked outrage, summed up by tweets from game designer Sergey Mohov, who mocked Mundfish's position as "We're for all the good things and against all the bad ones," lambasting the studio for "having the unbelievable privilege to have this kind of position". You can pre-order the chair or subscribe to brand news at /en/products/xd/.It was not the statement of support for Ukrainian independence that some were hoping for. The flagship Xd line will be available for purchase in March 2023. Even more licensed designs will be presented in 2023. Xd Atomic Heart is not the only licensed chair in the new flagship WARP line. It was a pleasure for us to work on the design of the chair, which fully fits into the atmosphere of the game and at the same time is minimalistic enough to look appropriate within the user's living and working space." Gleb Kadom, CBDO at WARP. "Atomic Heart is not just a game, but a spectacular and original universe. Moreover, an NFC chip is embedded in the backrest, which confirms the authenticity of the chair and, in addition to warranty information, contains extra digital content from WARP. The limited edition inherits all the unique features of the Xd series, in particular the SmartPillow magnetic headrest, 4D metal armrests with magnetic armpad, the signature ergonomic shape with built-in lumbar support, a durable steel frame and a strong aluminum base. The back of the Xd Atomic Heart is decorated with a large print of the "Dixie" robot. The chair from the flagship WARP Xd line got a bright design with gradient gold color leather sides, red stitching and embroideries.Ītomic Heart robots can be found not only in promotional materials, but also on the chair itself. Today, WARP, a brand of ergonomic gaming chairs, and Mundfish, a video game development studio, unveiled the first gaming chair inspired by the universe of Atomic Heart game.
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