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Across the bridges of military glory: a tour of virtual Novorossiysk and a MiG-15 simulator
Russian game developers have prepared special events dedicated to the Great Patriotic War and the country's military history for May 9. In the "World of Tanks" gamers will be greeted by the Red Square and the "Museum of Glory" with historical equipment, and in the "World of Ships" — the story campaign "Defense of the Arctic" and the festive port of Novorossiysk. In addition, releases and announcements of several domestic projects were timed to coincide with the holiday: from interactive tours of besieged Leningrad to an aircraft simulator with the legendary MiG-15. What else the developers have planned for Victory Day is in the Izvestia article.
"The Road of Life" will be released in the fall
One of the main news by May 9 was the appearance of the game "Road of Life" from the Russian studio Iskra in digital stores. The project's pages have already opened on Steam and VK Play, and the demo version will be available on May 19, 2026. The developers plan to release a full-fledged release in early autumn.
It is dedicated to the drivers of the legendary GAZ-AA trucks that delivered food and cargo across the ice of Lake Ladoga to besieged Leningrad. The authors call the game not so much a military action game as a historical drama about human choice and survival.
— In the demo, gamers will be able to take the first flight along the Road of Life lasting about an hour. In the story, the driver enters the ice track for the first time and is faced with the harsh reality of wartime: snowstorms, ice holes, shelling and the constant risk of falling through the ice. During the trip, you will have to monitor the technical condition of the car, choose a route and make moral decisions — stop to help others, or continue driving for the sake of delivering cargo to the city, " Alexander Lapardin, the producer of the game, told Izvestia.
The developers emphasize that the project is based on archival materials and eyewitness accounts. Many of the characters have real-life prototypes. Thus, Boris, a photojournalist, appears in one of the missions, whose image is inspired by the Soviet Izvestia photographer Boris Kudoyarov, who filmed the life of besieged Leningrad.
Iskra Studio appeared only in 2025, but the core of the team consists of experienced specialists who previously worked on games of various genres. About 20 people, including historians and editors, are currently working on the project. It is being created with the support of the Internet Development Institute.
Andrey Voronkov, Deputy General Director of the IRI, noted that such projects today serve not only an entertainment, but also an educational function.
— Games on the theme of the Great Patriotic War are a special genre: they not only entertain, but also help preserve the memory of the most important events in history. It's great that the project will be released on international platforms, too.: This way more people will learn about this feat and understand its meaning," he said.
Red Square and the defense of the Arctic
The largest Russian online games have also prepared updates for May 9th. So, Lesta Games launched a series of thematic events in several projects at once.
In the World of Tanks, the hangar was decorated in the style of Red Square. Users are greeted with fireworks, Eternal Flame, festive lighting and a special light show. A "Museum of Glory" has appeared inside, an interactive exhibit with legendary military equipment and historical references.
The main event was the "Time of Heroes" mode. In it, users will be able to go through key episodes of the Great Patriotic War — from the Battle for Moscow to the Berlin offensive. The developers tried to focus not only on technology, but also on the historical context of the events.
A thematic update has been released for the "World of Ships". The game features an updated Novorossiysk port with festive installations, fireworks and elements of a naval parade.
The key event was the storyline campaign "Defense of the Arctic", dedicated to the exploits of the Northern Fleet. Users are offered to go from the first months of the war in the summer of 1941 to the liberation of the Soviet Arctic in 1944. The event is designed as an interactive map of the war at sea, where new operations and episodes are gradually opening up.
A separate commemorative event was prepared by the authors of Tanks Blitz. The game launched the project "Letters that live on". In the hangar, users can find paper boats with audio recordings of real front-line letters from the Great Patriotic War. Materials for the project were provided by the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
A large-scale update for the holiday was released for the tactical shooter "Caliber". The update added new content, as well as redesigned some of the existing game mechanics.
The main event was the action "Common cause: Victorious March". Players jointly advance the front line and receive rewards for completing tasks. Among the prizes is the AS "VAL" machine gun, which is well known to fans of military shooters. In addition, there is a new PvE mode "Assault". In it, gamers act as Red Army soldiers and must break through enemy defenses to capture a German bunker. The developers have relied on cooperative passage and gradual progress through fortified positions.
Games as an interactive story
The theme of the Great Patriotic War is addressed not only by major studios, but also by independent teams. One of these projects was the Immortal Symphony. Evgeny Anishchenko, head of the Siberian Koala development studio, sees the project more as an interactive tour than as a classic game. The main focus is not on the fighting, but on the daily history of the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad.
— The idea came after a conversation with one of the team members, whose grandmother survived the blockade. You can even see her portrait in one of the characters' rooms," he said.
The authors believe that modern games have become an important way of talking to young people about complex historical topics. At the same time, in their opinion, such projects should primarily remain human stories.
Another project is "Victory Banner" from Peresvet Studio. Its lone author Dmitry Agapov told Izvestia that the idea grew out of a personal interest in Russian history and the desire to give players the opportunity not just to learn about the events of the war, but literally to participate in them.
— The player will be able to control troops in strategic mode, as well as switch to specific fighters right during the battle. Each character has their own skills and characteristics: commanders increase the effectiveness of allies, medics treat the wounded, and snipers fire at long range," he explained.
From WWII to the Korean War
The new flight simulator "Korea. IL-2 series of games dedicated to the Korean War. The project is being prepared for early access and will tell about the Soviet pilots who participated in the conflict of the early 1950s. Several Soviet aircraft of that era will appear in it at once: La-11, Yak-9P, Il-10 and the legendary MiG-15, the most massive jet combat aircraft in the history of aviation.
The scenario campaigns will focus on the arrival of Soviet fighter units at airfields near the border of China and Korea. Players will have to perform combat missions on planes with North Korean markings in the skies over North Korea.
The authors of the Quadrosim UAV simulator have prepared a special map with a mission to deliver medicines between the two villages.
— What used to take hours (delivery of provisions, medicines, etc.) is now done in minutes using drones. The pilots will have to pick up the cargo, go through a time-limited route and difficult navigation, where accuracy, accuracy and safety of delivery are important. The script is inspired by frontline stories about mutual help, resilience and support," said Ivan Orlov, PR Director of the Ninsar Studio.
According to blogger Maxim Golopolosov, the Russian gaming industry today is at about the same level as the global one, although it is inferior in scale to foreign markets. As an example of a strong domestic project, he cited Atomic Heart, which, according to him, can be evaluated without any discounts on origin.
— The domestic industry does not stop and continues to try to make noticeable, high-quality things. People will always strive for development and success, despite any difficulties and obstacles. The ideal scenario would be simply not to interfere with those who want to create and move the industry forward," the blogger said.
Igor Baranov, an expert in the gaming industry, believes that May 9th remains an important date for Russian developers, when they can remind the audience about patriotic, educational and socially significant projects. According to him, while Western projects are more likely to receive themed updates for Halloween or Chinese New Year, in Russia Victory Day has become a separate reason for launching historical events and memorable gaming campaigns.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
