Squad 22: ZOV is a new squad tactics game that just released on Steam yesterday, and claims to be "officially recommended" by the Russian military "for use as a basic infantry tactic manual for cadet and Yunarmy training."
Spotted by Simulation Daily, the game's website claims that the development team includes soldiers currently fighting in the war between Ukraine and Russia, and claims that it shows "History as it is."
The website reads,"Dive into 2014 and 2022-2024 events, through different campaigns and learn how people who lived in them saw what happened, how it affected their lives and changed opinions."
The Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation has already published articles about Squad 22: ZOV, and how it is Russian military propaganda that aims to "mythologize the war and its participants" from Russia's point of view, to bring young Russian men into the fold of the army.
"The Squad 22: ZOV game is not just entertainment, but an element of propaganda aimed at justifying the war and creating a heroic myth about the Russian military," the Center for Countering Disinformation writes.
"This is another step in the militarization of Russian society and its preparation for a long-term war."
It's unclear how exactly Squad 22: ZOV was able to get its Steam listing and pass through moderation checks. Valve has not yet commented on the game, nor has it taken action to remove the game like it recently did with a game explicitly depicting sexual violence, or how it removed a game depicting the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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