We're going behind the Iron Curtain for Atomic Heart, and as the Soviet shooter makes its debut, it's been caught in a storm of controversy. Yet again, developer Mundfish finds itself in an unfortunate situation. 

Amidst questions about where the developer stands on the war in Ukraine, Mundfish recently defended itself (thanks GamesRadar) against allegations it was harvesting data for Russian authorities.

Things have changed a lot since Atomic Heart revealed its first trailer in 2018, and whether bad timing or something more, the game is launching at an uncertain time. For Mundfish, things are only getting worse thanks to a dev build leaking for free.

Atomic Heart Dev Build Leaks For Free

According to GameInfinitus, a dev build of Atomic Heart has popped up in corners of the internet, with the OP claiming they located it "from a peculiar source." It has been uploaded in its entirety and without anti-piracy protection, meaning you can download and play for absolutely nothing.

Although we don't know how far into the development process this build comes from, this Atomic Heart is said to be "functional." It might be lacking the visuals of the final release and will likely be littered with bugs, but effectively, this bare-bones version should be pretty close to the game Mundfish released. 

It's a sizeable 80GB download, and with that being similar to Xbox's official 78.66GB, it suggests this may be a lot closer to Mundfish's final version than first thought. According to game developer Sergey Mohov it's been downloaded more than 23,000 times. 

Atomic Heart Gets A Frosty Reception

Having a dev build of your AAA game leak just days before its full release is sure to be giving those at Mundfish a headache. Still, that's the least of the team's worries when looking at the first reviews. 

Our own Atomic Heart review says it "folds under its own lofty ambitions," with its BioShock-inspired gameplay being overshadowed by a drawn-out storyline that doesn't go anywhere and a lacklustre protagonist that leans into too many action hero stereotypes.

As Mundfish dodges controversy, others have made their stance clear. The legendary Mick Gordon is known for his Doom soundtrack and is a highlight of Atomic Heart. Still, the composer took to Twitter to confirm he's donated his fee to support Ukraine. 

With a game that's debuting to average reviews and is caught in the crossfire of political strife, it's probably not great that a leaked dev build has twisted the knife further.