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It’s official: Atomic Heart is getting a sequel – but that’s not all! Developer Mundfish has also announced another game and a “revolution for video games.” We reveal what’s behind it all.
“I truly believe this will be a revolution for video games.” With these grand words, Mundfish CEO and Game Director (Atomic Heart 2) Robert Bagratuni introduces the new games from the makers of Atomic Heart in an interview. Yes, you heard right: plural.
Atomic Heart 2 has now been officially unveiled, but the MMO spin-off The Cube sounds almost even more exciting. Fans of Atomic Heart have something to look forward to either way:Because the shooter is not only getting a sequel, but an entire universe And the developers have big plans.
Atomic Heart 2 is set to be bigger and more diverse
While Atomic Heart is still waiting for its fourth and final DLC, the developers are unveiling their next project at Summer Game Fest 2025: The Soviet BioShock is getting a sequel that seamlessly ties in with the events of the first game and its expansions.
The story is once again set in an alternate version of the Soviet Union in the 1960s, where the world is being shaped and changed by science and robotics.
“After the end [of part 1], we want to expand the universe and tell what happens after the catastrophic events,” says Game Director Rob. “We want to continue exploring how technocracy and technology affect people’s everyday lives.” The story will take on a global scale, so there will be even more at stake.
The developers aren’t ready to reveal who we’ll be playing or what the protagonist’s role in this world will be. One thing is certain: we’ll encounter many new faces, as well as some familiar ones who played a key role in the events of the first game.
Overall, Atomic Heart 2 is set to be bigger and offer players more freedom.
“There won’t be any huge changes compared to the first game,” adds the game director. “So it won’t be a completely new game. Fans of the first game will get exactly what they want and what they’ve been waiting for – and on top of that, there will be a lot more to enrich their gaming experience.”
This includes an open world in which we can move much more freely than in the highly restricted game area of part 1, allowing us to explore the world better and learn more about the story and background.
The skill systems are also set to become deeper and more complex, allowing us to build our main character and their talents exactly how we want. Rob says that feedback from the community is also being taken into account. For example, the combat system is to be optimized.
Don’t worry: we won’t have to do without the cool abilities from part 1 either. The combat system will once again work with both hands – one wielding a classic firearm, the other advanced technologies that will make life difficult for our enemies. In the previous game, for example, there were ice and lightning attacks, as well as telekinesis and protective shields.
The developers aren’t revealing much more detail about Atomic Heart 2 yet. Nevertheless, there are still some exciting things to share: Atomic Heart is getting its own universe, and the stories and events from Atomic Heart 2 are directly connected to a curious cube…
“This is what the gaming industry has been waiting for.”
The Cube will be an MMO shooter set in the Atomic Heart universe. Wait, hold on! Before you all stop reading: The concept sounds totally absurd and ambitious, but also like something that even single-player fans of the first game might enjoy.
After the events of Part 1, a huge floating cube appears in the world of Atomic Heart. This cube imitates the existing world, but is full of anomalies. It doesn’t take long for this inexplicable object to attract the attention of scientists who want to explore it and get to the bottom of the mystery.
As players, we rush towards this cube and have to face its whims. Because – and this is what makes this game world so special – the cube rotates like a Rubik’s cube, changing everything around us. One moment we’re admiring a beautiful beach bathed in sunlight with peaceful creatures, and the next we find ourselves in a frozen city where the local flora and fauna are out to get us.
In addition to exploring the world, The Cube also offers the classic Atomic Heart combat system and lets us face a wide variety of enemy types and bosses. A progression system will also allow us to improve our characters and get them ready for their next trip to the cube.
Incidentally, it is still unknown how many players will be able to play on the server at the same time. This will be worked out during development and future playtests. After all, the technical framework has to be able to withstand the rush of players. The developers are particularly proud of the technology, as Mundfish CEO and co-founder Rob reveals:
We spent a year and a half just learning how to rotate the cube. We programmed our own physics laws for it, introduced a new ballistics system, adjusted the gravity, optimized the rendering, and also learned how to trick graphics cards into handling all of this. It was very difficult. In the past, it was unthinkable to implement such an idea.
Now, for the first time in the history of video games, so many objects can rotate and change at the same time. And it all happens online! This is a real technological breakthrough. In its day, Crysis became synonymous with a technical revolution. We want The Cube to achieve something similar.
We want players to see what’s possible and that a game world doesn’t always have to be flat, but that current technologies also allow us to push the boundaries of creativity. I truly believe that The Cube will be a revolution for video games, and I think it’s something the industry has been waiting for. A new way to experience games from different angles.
There is no release window or specific date yet. However, Rob reveals that The Cube is even scheduled to be released before Atomic Heart 2. Incidentally, it doesn’t matter in which order you play the games – you can merge story snippets from both games at the end to understand the big picture.
Editor’s conclusion
I’m not really interested in MMOs, and I was just excited about the sequel to the Soviet BioShock. During my interview with the game director, however, The Cube really stole the show. While Atomic Heart 2 sounds like “more of the same, but a little different,” the floating cube promises me a completely new way to experience games. And that makes me curious!
But of course, I’ll have to see the result of these ambitious and wild ideas before I can make a judgment. Because as great as Mundfish’s creative approaches sound, the development studio is also setting itself a pretty big challenge. I really hope that the studio doesn’t bite off more than it can chew with these big steps. Because I’m really looking forward to a huge Atomic Heart universe where I can soak up even more of the unique setting and the mysteries of the story.
