Overview

• On May 29, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation warned that Squad22: ZOV aims to mythologize Russia’s invasion and recruit youth into military service.
• Developers SPN Studio enlisted active soldiers and veterans and state that the game is officially recommended by the Russian military for infantry training and Yunarmy cadet programs.
• Released on Steam on May 28, the title’s store page credits Russia’s Main Military-Political Directorate and promises insight into the 2014 and 2022–2024 Ukraine conflicts.
• Valve Corporation has neither commented on the propaganda claims nor removed the game, exposing a lack of explicit rules against state-sponsored content on its platform.
• The dispute highlights growing concerns about video games as tools of modern warfare and has prompted calls for clearer content-moderation standards.