A Russian military-endorsed "propaganda game" has just landed on Steam

A hot potato: A new game arrived on Steam yesterday, partly set in the ongoing war in Ukraine and "officially recommended by the Russian Military." Unsurprisingly, there's been a lot of controversy around what is being called Russian propaganda, along with questions over how it was allowed on the platform in the first place. Free-to-play tactical shooter Squad 22: ZOV is the only game to come from both developer SPN Studio and publisher Zarobana Entertainment. The description reads, "Based on real war-time experience of living Russian veterans of war in Ukraine." There's also a section in bold that proudly announces, "Game is officially recommended by the Russian Military for use as a basic infantry tactic manual for cadet and Yunarmy [Russia's Young Army Cadets National Movement] training." The game promises to show "history as it is," tasking players to delve into the "complexities of the 2014 and 2022-2024 events," referring to the invasions of Crimea and Ukraine, respectively. Th ... Read full article.