Mundfish’s Bold Vision: Atomic Heart 2 and Beyond

Mundfish, the innovative studio behind the hit Atomic Heart, is pushing boundaries with its upcoming projects. Fresh off announcing Atomic Heart 2 and the intriguing spin-off The Cube, CEO Robert Bagratuni shares insights into creating immersive worlds that tackle technology’s double-edged sword, aiming for the lasting influence of classics like Crysis.

The Legacy of Atomic Heart: Lessons Learned and Milestones Reached

Atomic Heart marked Mundfish’s explosive debut, blending bio-punk aesthetics with intense first-person action in a Soviet-inspired alternate reality. Launched over two years ago, it has now surpassed 10 million players, a testament to its commercial triumph despite being the studio’s first major release. This success stemmed from its unique retro-futuristic setting, where advanced robotics clash with human ambition.

Reflecting on the journey, Bagratuni acknowledges areas for improvement. The original game taught invaluable lessons in world-building, narrative depth, and player engagement, which are directly informing future titles. For instance, Mundfish is refining its approach to storytelling, ensuring themes resonate beyond surface-level entertainment. The studio’s growth from a newcomer to a 10-million-player powerhouse underscores its rapid evolution in the competitive gaming landscape.

• Key Achievements: 10M+ players milestone reached recently.
• Core Themes: Technology’s societal impact in a dystopian sci-fi framework.
• Lessons Applied: Enhanced believability in retro-futuristic designs for sequels.

Atomic Heart 2: Deepening the Dystopian Narrative

Revealed at Summer Game Fest 2025, Atomic Heart 2 continues the saga directly from the first game’s story and its post-launch expansions. This action-adventure RPG expands the retro-futuristic universe, emphasizing a “believable” world saturated with digitalization. Players will navigate a vast, sci-fi landscape that’s more than a fleeting critique—it’s a comprehensive exploration of technology’s transformative power on society.

Gameplay evolves with stronger role-playing elements, diverse opportunities, and heightened immersion. The narrative delves into post-DLC events, building a cohesive “Atomic Universe” that feels alive and interconnected. Bagratuni describes it as a huge, imaginary yet plausible realm, far removed from simplistic episodic tales.

Official details confirm it’s a first-person story-driven experience coming to consoles and PC, promising richer interactions and visual fidelity.

The Cube: A Multiplayer Revolution in the Atomic Universe

Complementing the single-player focus of Atomic Heart 2, The Cube introduces a wild multiplayer spin-off drawing inspiration from MMO shooters like Destiny and Warframe. Set within the same Atomic Universe, it offers persistent online worlds with RPG progression, shooter mechanics, and communal storytelling.

Bagratuni is confident in its potential, citing the studio’s refined understanding of player retention and world persistence. The Cube emphasizes cooperative and competitive modes in a shared retro-futuristic environment, where technology’s perils play out dynamically among players. Development prioritizes scalability, ensuring seamless experiences across platforms.

• Influences: MMO elements from Destiny/Warframe.
• Setting: Expands Atomic Heart’s dystopia into multiplayer.
• Focus: Believable digital worlds with high replayability.

Mundfish Powerhouse: ILL and Expanding Horizons

Beyond the Atomic Universe, Mundfish launched the Mundfish Powerhouse label, debuting with ILL by Team Clout. This horror survival game introduces fresh talent under Mundfish’s umbrella, showcasing the studio’s commitment to diverse genres. ILL promises tense atmospheres and survival challenges, aligning with Mundfish’s tech-infused narratives.

The label signals Mundfish’s strategy to nurture external teams while maintaining creative oversight, fostering innovation across horror, shooters, and RPGs.

CEO’s Ambitious Goal: Crafting Crysis-Level Impact

Robert Bagratuni envisions Mundfish titles rivaling Crysis, the benchmark for technical prowess and cultural resonance. Crysis redefined graphics and open-world destruction in 2007, becoming synonymous with “pushing PCs to their limits.” Mundfish aims for similar disruption—games that are not just entertainment but art with profound statements on modernity.

Through translator interviews, Bagratuni stresses authenticity: “We were always building a story about technology, and how it affects and changes the modern world.” This philosophy permeates all projects, from Atomic Heart 2’s narrative depth to The Cube’s social dynamics.

“It’s going to be a huge world with lots of digitalization, and even though it’s sci-fi, it’s an imaginary world but it’s very believable.” — Robert Bagratuni

Building Believable Worlds: Mundfish’s Design Philosophy

Central to Mundfish’s appeal is its retro-futuristic aesthetic—blending 1950s optimism with dystopian tech horrors. Atomic Heart 2 amplifies this with meticulous world-building, making sci-fi feel tangible. The Cube extends it to multiplayer, where player actions shape persistent environments.

Lessons from the first Atomic Heart include better balancing narrative and action, improving AI, and enhancing accessibility without diluting challenge. Bagratuni highlights emphasis on immersion: every element, from architecture to mutant robots, reinforces the theme of unchecked innovation.

Future Roadmap and Industry Impact

Mundfish’s slate positions it as a rising force. Atomic Heart 2 targets deeper emotional engagement, The Cube multiplayer dominance, and ILL genre diversification. With 10M players as a foundation, the studio eyes global expansion.

Bagratuni’s Crysis aspiration reflects broader ambitions: creating benchmarks in visuals, storytelling, and tech critique. As development progresses toward launches on PC and consoles, Mundfish could redefine immersive sci-fi gaming.

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