The working relationship between Odd Meter and 11 bit studios was long underway when Russia’s unjust invasion of Ukraine took place. These horrific events put both the developer and the publisher in a difficult situation with a complicated path forward.
“Even before our country started the war, we walked a fine line working with topics that can get someone criminal prosecution in Russia. After February 24, things were complicated even further as staying in Russia became both physically scary and, more importantly, morally difficult, so we decided to leave for another country,” states Dmitry Svetlow, Game Director and Founder at Odd Meter. “Nowadays, it has become especially obvious how relevant the topics raised in our game are. Many problems of today's Russia lie in the socio-political infantilism that has been hammered into its citizens over the centuries: humility, obedience, and patience are the main virtues imposed by our orthodox culture. So it’s not surprising that institutions such as the Russian Orthodox Church have recently become one of the primary weapons of propaganda, calling on parishioners to die for their homeland, and preaching a monstrous indifference to one's own and other people's lives.”
With the decision made, Odd Meter’s entire 16-person team uprooted their lives and moved to Kazakhstan.
“Such a dehumanizing war shows that our desire to see the world as a free, civilized place is still brittle, and sadly, many people's lives still precariously balance on military whims. We at 11 bit knew we couldn’t measure our ongoing cooperation with Odd Meter merely due to the studio’s origins,” states Rufus Kubica, Product Management Lead at 11 bit studios. “As the team decided to leave Russia and move to Kazakhstan, we gave them all the time they needed to put their private and professional lives back on track. Development deadlines could be postponed, and we needed to put a ton of new effort into paperwork. But most importantly, we didn’t interfere with the game content, its theme, or the story that bravely touches on topics that are almost entirely absent from games up to now. With its artistic value at stake, any sort of censorship would imply our lack of confidence – and we wholeheartedly believe in Odd Meter's efforts to craft a mind-boggling, one-of-a-kind, meaningful experience. We can't wait for our community to play INDIKA and be mind-blown with us”.
INDIKA is headed for a launch in 2024 for PC and consoles.
As deeds are valued over words, part of the revenue from INDIKA will be donated to help children affected by the war in Ukraine.
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