At Summer Game Fest 2025, Atomic Heart developer Mundfish unveiled several games, including a sequel to AH, an online multiplayer spin-off (The Cube), and a survival horror game they will publish (ILL).
As you might recall, we've interviewed Mundfish often ahead of the launch of Atomic Heart. Now that the studio's new phase has begun, we reached out once again to the Founder, CEO, and Game Director, Robert Bagratuni, to learn more about all these projects. We're starting today with Atomic Heart 2, arguably the most anticipated one, given that it's the sequel to a highly successful title that reached over 10 million players.
The good news is that it's clear the scope and the ambition are much higher. The bad news is that we won't get to play it for a rather long while, although that's not too surprising given that the first installment only launched two years ago. Anyway, keep scrolling below to read the full Q&A.
Hello, Robert. Can you tell us when Atomic Heart 2 takes place exactly in the timeline? Can you share which ending of the original will be followed canonically?
Atomic Heart 2 takes place a few years after the conclusion of the first game, picking up the thread following the fallout and DLCs, but in a fresh chapter of the story. The sequel follows the aftermath of the original’s multiple endings, including the upcoming fourth DLC, which will bring more clarity to that matter. We are staying true to the beautiful dystopian world of science and technology, but expanding into broader retro‑futuristic environments across the globe, with a world shaped by previous upheavals and consequences of the first game’s events.
Some users have noticed a more Western vibe from the trailer. Will that be reflected in the actual game? If so, can you expand on this?
We’re definitely not abandoning the art direction and atmosphere that players loved in the first game. The retro-futuristic, dystopian world of Atomic Heart is still very much intact, and music remains a powerful part of how we express it.
Choosing Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now for the announcement trailer wasn’t about changing direction, but about expanding the emotional range of the universe. Actually, that very track was released at the end of the ‘70s in the USSR on vinyl, as “КВИН – Не останавливай меня”. It’s exactly the kind of cultural crossover that fits into the Radio of the Future we’ve built, familiar yet reimagined through the lens of our world. And just like in the first game, there will be many tracks, many moods, and a mix of regional classics and global icons. If you remember how “Komarovo” and “Trava u doma” became iconic moments in Atomic Heart, rest assured, that spirit is alive and well in the sequel.
How much of the trailer was gameplay and how much of it was cinematics?
Everything in the trailer was captured in-engine using Unreal Engine 5, and it features a mix of gameplay footage and in-game cinematics. As we’re not diving deep into detailed gameplay breakdowns yet, what’s shown is only a small glimpse, but it’s enough to hint at some of the key directions we’re taking.
We’re focused on evolving the combat system with more variety, especially through the use of the glove’s abilities, intense encounters with enemies, and, of course, boss fights. You can see a bit more gameplay in the extended showcase we recently published on our official YouTube channel. As for the cinematics, we wanted to introduce some of the new characters players will meet, not all of whom will be clearly good or evil, and to show that the world itself is becoming more layered and diverse.
Will Atomic Heart 2 include any multiplayer elements, or will those be reserved for The CUBE?
While Atomic Heart 2 focuses on a personal journey, The CUBE opens the door to a much broader, shared experience within the same retro-futuristic dystopia. The CUBE is a narrative spin-off, but not a side project. It’s a massive MMO RPG shooter that takes place after the events of Atomic Heart 1. It expands the universe both narratively and structurally. The Cube itself, as a literal, mysterious megastructure, is a key part of the lore. It's a fully integrated piece of the timeline, not just a multiplayer layer. Players will explore this shifting world, uncover its secrets, and interact with systems and consequences born directly out of the Atomic Heart games.
Is P-3 coming back? Will there be any other playable characters in AH2?
If you’ve watched the trailer closely, you may have spotted P-3 and some other familiar faces - so, yes, some key characters from the first part will return in Atomic Heart 2. That includes characters who survived the events of the original game and its DLCs. As for P-3 specifically… let’s just say his story isn’t over. But we’re not ready to reveal exactly how or in what capacity just yet. We’re not discussing playable characters in detail right now, but the story absolutely will continue threads that fans of the first game will recognize, while also opening new doors and perspectives.
The game world of this sequel seems much larger, as evidenced by the presence of vehicles and new traversal options. Can it be considered an open world? Will it feature dynamic day/time, weather, etc.?
Great question! This is something we’ve thought about a lot, especially after seeing players’ desire to explore the world in the first Atomic Heart. For example, we had this incredible flying city of Chelomey, which players were able to explore only once (not considering another opportunity in the DLC#3). We're paying close attention to all the feedback, so we know that the open world experience in AH1 wasn't perfect. And with Atomic Heart 2, we want to improve this significantly.
The game is much more open in structure. We’re building larger, interconnected spaces that offer more freedom in how you explore, revisit, and engage with different systems - vehicles, traversal tools, and new verticality are all part of that. There’s a core narrative path, but also a lot of space for discovery and replayability. We’re not ready to reveal all the environmental systems yet, but expect more dynamic elements like time of day and weather to play a role in shaping both mood and gameplay. That said, everything is still grounded in story and world logic - the scale is there to serve immersion, not overwhelm it.
You mentioned that AH2 will introduce an 'expanded RPG system' featuring a 'living world' and 'various activities'. Can you provide more information on all these aspects?
Yes, we’re introducing a more expanded RPG layer in Atomic Heart 2, but we’re doing it the Mundfish way - integrated into the world and the experience, not layered on top just for complexity’s sake. The “living world” means that we want the world to feel less like a backdrop and more like a responsive, evolving system. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves - we will share more information when we are ready.
As for the RPG elements - we are aiming for deeper weapon customization, skill trees, and progression paths that allow players to shape their playstyle much more than before.
When we talk about “various activities,” we mean things that reward curiosity: things to do between the main missions. But always in service of the core experience - we’re not turning it into a checklist-style open-world game. Everything still has that handcrafted, surreal tone fans expect.
Will players make several choices leading to profound consequences for the various missions and the narrative? Are there companions in the game?
Without giving too much away, we can say that Atomic Heart 2 will offer players more agency than before. Choices do matter, and your actions can influence how certain events or missions unfold. As for companions… that’s a tricky one to answer without spoilers. Let’s just say: you won’t be entirely alone.
You also briefly mentioned improvements to the combat system. What can we expect on that front?
Combat was one of the aspects that players really connected with in Atomic Heart - the weight, the variety, the creative freedom in how you approached each fight. That positive feedback meant a lot to us, and it set a high bar for the sequel. With Atomic Heart 2, we want to go even further. To make sure we do it right, we’re starting internal playtesting much earlier this time around. Whether it’s moment-to-moment gunplay, skills usage, or how enemies react, our goal is to make every fight feel better, deeper, and more satisfying than before.
What's the current state of the game? Prototype, Pre-Alpha? How long will it be until we can see more?
The game is in active development and well past the prototype stage. We're a few years out from release, and taking the time to ensure everything feels tighter, polished, and more immersive. More updates will come as we hit key milestones.
Thank you for your time.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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