The start of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts' occupation in 2014, the battle for Mariupol in 2022, and the seize of Avdiivka in 2024 are not simply episodes of Russian aggression in opposition to Ukraine. They’re now missions within the new Russian online game Squad 22: ZOV.
Practically a yr after the Russian studio SPN introduced in July 2024 that it had began engaged on the sport in cooperation with Russia's Protection Ministry, Squad 22: ZOV turned obtainable totally free in Russian, English, and Chinese language on Steam, a world distribution platform with over 30 million lively customers each day.
Earlier than the sport begins, gamers select from characters from Ukraine’s partially Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast, the place Moscow launched its 2014 invasion underneath the false pretext of defending Russian audio system from persecution, a baseless declare broadly debunked as Kremlin propaganda.
Within the recreation, the characters say they’re searching for to "deliver peace" to their homeland — however underneath the Russian flag. Their mission is to seize positions held by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and advance deeper into Ukrainian territory, repeating Kremlin narratives that painting Russia’s struggle as a response to “Kyiv’s terror,” one other certifiably false declare.
The brand new recreation will not be the primary time Russia has used video video games as a automobile for propaganda aimed toward younger audiences. However it’s the first to deal with Russia’s struggle in Ukraine, that includes actual battles and characters primarily based on precise people.
Nearly instantly after it was revealed on Steam, the sport was unavailable in Ukraine. As of June, it has obtained combined evaluations. However consultants interviewed by the Kyiv Unbiased stated that even when the sport fails to draw a large viewers, it nonetheless poses a menace — and there’s nothing to cease Russia from persevering with to develop one other, doubtlessly more practical instrument for spreading its propaganda.
"Saying that Squad 22: ZOV promotes the genocide of Ukrainians, justifies the terrorism of the Russian military, and presents itself as 'a savior from the Nazis' is an understatement," Mykhailo Hrabar, a Ukrainian gaming blogger with a nickname OLDboi, informed the Kyiv Unbiased.
The primary Russian tutorial on how one can wage struggle in Ukraine
Squad 22: ZOV was produced by Russian nationwide Alexander Tolkach, who held varied positions, together with in Ukraine, earlier than engaged on the online game.
Tolkach was a diplomat in Europe, led exterior communications at DTEK, Ukraine's largest personal power firm, and labored for Hungarian online game developer Gaijin Leisure, notably on the Struggle Thunder online game standard amongst troopers as a army simulator.
In an interview with pro-Russian army blogger Kirill Fedorov, Tolkach stated Russia's Protection Ministry contacted him at first of 2024 to develop a recreation as quickly as potential "to show that we will." Tolkach additionally stated that Russian corporations are often reluctant to make video games concerning the Russian struggle in Ukraine due to their dependence on worldwide companions and the specter of sanctions.
"The Russians try to determine how far they’ll go along with their future, costlier, technically superior video games, with which they’ll appeal to the eye of Western gamers and pour something into their ears."
"We needed to launch our personal studio. The work continued, and we launched the sport in 9 months (on the native market). It’s not the proper one, however we’re not ashamed. And most significantly, we confirmed individuals: 'Look, nothing occurred to us,'" Tolkach stated on Might 20 on Fedorov Reside, referring to sanctions or bans from the worldwide gaming neighborhood.
The sport often refers to pro-Russian narratives that glorify the Russian military and justify Russian aggression, calling for the "liberation" of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories fron Ukraine. The builders additionally stated on the sport’s web site that they consulted with those that participated in Russia's struggle in Ukraine, together with Vladislav Golovin, a profession Russian army officer who took half within the siege of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast in 2022.
In line with the sport's description on Steam, Squad 22: ZOV is really useful by the Russian military as a primary infantry tactical handbook for cadets and members of Yunarmiya ("Youth Military"), the state-sponsored youth group that mixes ideological indoctrination with army coaching for kids and youngsters.
Oleh Kulikov, an esports analyst, informed the Kyiv Unbiased that the truth that a recreation is really useful on the state stage could curiosity a mean person much more than its content material. In line with the knowledgeable, Squad 22: ZOV is of low high quality and will likely be troublesome to have an effect on a variety of customers worldwide.
"For essentially the most half, propaganda video video games are low-grade and unattractive, and that is the place the Barbra Streisand impact is available in," Kulikov stated, referring to a phenomenon the place an try to cover one thing solely brings extra consideration to it.
Oleksandr Petryk, a Ukrainian esports commentator with the nickname Petr1k, echoed Kulikov's stance, saying that Squad 22: ZOV has graphics of video games launched within the early 2000s, and is unlikely to draw younger individuals in the best way that the Ukrainian online game S.T.A.L.Ok.E.R. has. Nevertheless, even when somebody by chance downloads the sport overseas and sees the interpretation of occasions in Ukraine from a Russian perspective, it would play into Russia's fingers, he added.
How to withstand Russian propaganda in our on-line world?
Squad 22: ZOV, made in a matter of months and brazenly funded by the Russian authorities, is unlikely to trigger large-scale injury to Ukraine, however a greater Russian product can, the consultants interviewed by the Kyiv Unbiased stated.
"The Russians try to determine how far they’ll go along with their future, costlier, technically superior video games, with which they’ll appeal to the eye of Western gamers and pour something into their ears," recreation blogger Hrabar stated, including that Russia is already creating higher tasks, notably about Russia's Wagner Group of mercenaries.
In line with the consultants, Steam, owned by the American Valve Company, has already been concerned in scandals when controversial video games had been revealed on its platform that illegally collected person knowledge or had a plot that contained sexual violence and had been eliminated solely after public outcry. The truth that Steam permitted Squad 22: ZOV was no shock.
"Steam has very weak moderation, which is partially carried out not even by Valve staff, however by lively neighborhood members," Hrabar stated. "After the platform canceled the Greenlight system, which allowed the neighborhood to vote for video games to be revealed, the pipe burst. Now you may get to the platform even with a bit of crap."
Esports analyst Kulikov added that to successfully counter Russian propaganda in video video games, Ukraine should develop its personal, thereby selling the Ukrainian model on the worldwide market. On the identical time, the Ukrainian authorities ought to reply to the launch of such propaganda tasks as Squad 22: ZOV.
"Ukraine's Digital Transformation Ministry wants to succeed in out to corporations like Valve Company, the very subsequent day after the sport is launched or introduced," Kulikov stated.
"Even when it doesn't work, it would assist to develop connections to ascertain operations and stop one thing extra severe from occurring sooner or later. And it’s certain to occur."
Creator's be aware:
Hello, that is Kateryna, the writer of the article. Thanks for studying. The struggle between Ukraine and Russia has lengthy gone past the battlefield, and Russian propaganda is broadly unfold within the media, films, and video video games. The sport Squad 22: ZOV is considered one of many examples of Russian propaganda instruments, focusing on some of the weak audiences, youth. If you wish to see extra articles like this, and help us in countering Russian propaganda, contemplate becoming a member of our neighborhood at present.
The Kyiv IndependentChris York