The latest trailer for Atomic Heart features a witch, a spooky star turned USSR Major, and the massacring of some murderous machines. The live-action video breaks the fourth wall in the best way possible, highlighting Atomic Heart’s competition whilst demonstrating why fans may prefer the game instead.
The Atomic Way trailer for Atomic Heart features Jensen Ackles, perhaps best known for his role in Supernatural. Ahead of his appearance, though, a young girl dressed as a witch tries to use magic to take down one of the android enemies from the game’s past marketing material. When her attack does nothing, Ackles, dressed as Major Nechayev, takes a metal pole with two circular saws on it and proceeds to destroy every robot model in sight.
Related: Atomic Heart PC system requirements – minimum and recommended specifications
This is clearly a reference to Hogwarts Legacy, a game that publisher Focus Entertainment has known would be released two weeks before Atomic Heart for some time. While it’s very lighthearted, the message here is clear. Those who don’t want to play Hogwarts Legacy, or want something different, can find what they’re looking for in Atomic Heart.
It was recently confirmed that Hogwarts Legacy beat Elden Ring’s retail launch week sales figures by a whopping 80%. Focus Entertainment can clearly tell it won’t outright beat the game, but a bit of friendly competition is never out of the question when the titles don’t interfere with each other’s genres or styles.
Bizarrely, this is not the only link between Hogwarts Legacy and Atomic Heart that has been drawn of late. A YouTuber named Harenko has produced a video titled “Please, Don’t Buy Atomic Heart” in which they go into detail about the game’s developer, how it has many ties to Russia yet has distanced itself from the war with Ukraine, and where money from a purchase of Atomic Heart may go. The video, which you can watch here, has gone viral with 1.6 million views and counting. Similar comments were made about Hogwarts Legacy and JK Rowling in the lead up to that game’s launch. In fact, Harenko also mentions the game in their video, seeing a purchase of the wizarding title as wrong as supporting the causes they feel are being supported by Atomic Heart’s sales.
