Atomic Heart Called Out For ‘Racist’ In-Game Cartoon
Some games just can't seem to catch a break, can they? If you thought accused allegiances to Russia amid the Ukraine war wasn't enough for Mundfish's Atomic Heart to deal with, it's also been struck with middling reviews and a dev build leaking online for free.
While the developer has tried to distance itself from the notion of Russian investors and its alleged support of the war between Vladimir Putin and Ukraine, it's now being pulled over the coals for an entirely different reason. Does Atomic Heart include a racist cartoon?
Atomic Heart Accused Of Including Racist Cartoon
Click to enlargeAs reported by PlayStation LifeStyle, a cartoon can be seen on the break room TVs. Although there are around 3.5 hours of the real-life Nu, Pogodi! cartoon viewable in Atomic Heart, it's Episode 12 ("Museum" from 1978) that's causing a stir.
Around the 5'50" mark, a statue is accused of amplifying racial stereotypes by using a "golliwog" caricature. Although once a common feature of old animations, the golliwog caricature of a Black person with massive lips has largely been removed from popular culture.
In particular, there's the infamous Censored Eleven from Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, which were axed due to ethnic stereotypes. In Atomic Heart, the episode features a wolf chasing a hare around a museum when they accidentally knock into an African-inspired statue that perpetuates the golliwog trope.
Nu, Pogodi! is inspired by the classic Tom and Jerry, which itself has faced censorship for use of golliwogs. Modern replays of the cartoons have either edited these scenes or aired them with a massive disclaimer at the start.
As Atomic Heart takes place in an alternate reality, there's a chance that golliwogs are more acceptable here, however, that sounds like a pretty worrisome excuse. Race symbols in video games are still a hot topic, with the BBC reporting how German editions of Wolfenstein were only allowed to use Swastikas as recently as 2019.
At the time of writing, Mundfish hasn't responded to the allegations of racism, but with promises of multiple patches hoping to iron out Atomic Heart's graphical glitches and gameplay bugs, the problematic episode of Nu, Pogodi! could soon be getting its own censorship.
Ukraine Wants To Ban Atomic Heart
Adding to the growing pile of problems, Ukrainian authorities are demanding that Atomic Heart is banned. PCGamesN reports that Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Affairs is sending letters to Microsoft, Sony, and Valve - asking for Atomic Heart to be pulled from their storefronts.
Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Alex Bornyakov writes about how Atomic Heart's apparent "Russian roots" and how it "romanticises communist ideology and the Soviet Union."
Alongside the apparent "toxicity" of the title, there's "the potential collection of user data information, and the possibility of their transfer to third parties in Russia." Finally, there's "the potential use of money raised from game purchases to conduct a war against Ukraine."
The letter comes following allegations that Mundfish's development was "funded by Russian enterprises," with it saying those involved haven't publically condemned the Putin regime. Now, the Ministry of Digital Affairs is calling for a worldwide boycott.
With Atomic Heart out now and already getting a frosty reception from some, Mundish could probably do without having to juggle allegations of racism among the other myriad of problems.
