A new BECID Hot Report highlights how Russia is increasingly using video games as soft-power tools to promote pro-Kremlin narratives, glorify militarism, and distort history often targeting younger audiences. From high-budget international releases to openly propagandistic war games, gaming has become part of Russia’s broader hybrid influence strategy.
The report examines cases such as “Atomic Heart”, which subtly romanticises Soviet aesthetics, and “Smuta” and “Unit 22: ZOV”, which more directly echo Kremlin narratives and justify Russia’s war against Ukraine. Even when games are not officially state-funded, their global reach and immersive nature make them effective vehicles for ideological messaging that is difficult to detect or regulate.
BECID assesses the risk as medium to high, warning that video games remain a regulatory blind spot in the EU despite their growing influence. The report calls on policymakers, educators, media, and civil society to strengthen critical gaming literacy, monitor state-linked content, and raise public awareness of how entertainment can be used to launder disinformation.
Read the January 2026 Hot Report here: