Mundfish Studio, the team behindAtomic Heart, is once again leaning into the surreal with its next project:The Cube. Described as anMMORPG shooterset within a giant, levitating structure composed of rotating rows and edges,The Cubeis built around a mystery that holds the potential to alter the laws of reality. While its concept might sound like something born from organized brainstorming, the true origin ofThe Cubeis far more spontaneous and interesting than some might expect.
Game Rant recently spoke withAtomic Heartdirector/Mundfish Studio founder/CEO Rob Bagratuni about the initial inspiration forThe Cube, which initially seemed like it would be as multi-faceted as the concept. However, it actually all began with a phone call that Bagratuni found himself increasingly bored with.
The Call That Sparked The Cube
After the launch ofAtomic Heart, Mundfish Studio quickly became known for its ability to createsurreal game worlds, so it’s not surprising that the concept ofThe Cubefeels just as abstract. While the team could have spent years simply trying to iterate on the ideas they had already realized inAtomic Heart, Mundfish’s earliest spark forThe Cubedidn’t come from a design pitch or brainstorming session. Instead, it came from pure mental drift.
Bagratuni explained that one of the studio’s core values is embracing complex, wild, oftenbizarre game ideas. This philosophy, which he describes as “craziness and bravery,” is what allowedThe Cubeto exist in the first place. When asked about what inspired the concept of a levitating, rotating cube as a space for gameplay, Bagratuni said,
“We’re the kind of team that always has some kind of crazy idea. We call it ‘craziness and bravery.’ Sometimes they’re hard to grasp. Particularly withThe Cube, I was on call, a very boring and very long call, and the person was talking for a very long time. It was really not exciting. It was very hard to concentrate, so I started drawing Tic-Tac-Toe squares in my notebook.”
That idle distraction is something almost anyone can relate to, but this particular moment ended up leading to something far more extensive than just a fun little sketch on paper. As Bagratuni continued drawing, his mind started to wander until he eventually saw the idea forThe Cubein his head. He knew right then and there that he needed to get his ideas into someone else’s head before they fizzled out, so he took appropriate action. Bagratuni continued,
“Suddenly, this cube just appeared in my head. It was just there and connected. Our co-founder, executive producer, and myself left the meeting; we excused ourselves, telling the others that we needed to leave urgently. Then, over the next two hours, we started brainstorming and coming up with the concept ofThe Cube. The whole idea just kind of came together.”
Of course, coming up with the idea was only the beginning. The real challenge was turning what Bagratuni saw in his head into a real, functional set ofinnovative gameplay mechanics.The Cube’s core gameplay loop would thus revolve around a massive, moving object with interconnected systems, so it’s naturally something that most engines would struggle to handle, let alone in real time with online multiplayer in play. According to Bagratuni, the team encountered numerous obstacles during development, but those same challenges became a source of motivation.
This is largely because what Mundfish truly wanted out ofThe Cubewould impact more than just thegame’s visuals. Something of this caliber would require a level of engineering that doesn’t currently have a strong foundation in the industry that Mundfish could use as a springboard. As such, the team had to use all of their tools and knowledge to explore this technological space that very few, if any, had explored before. In fact, Bagratuni described it as a “technological breakthrough,” not because it looks great, but because it actually works:
“It’s probably the first time in the industry that something like this is possible. It’s definitely a technological breakthrough because, before, it was impossible to use the engine to ensure that so many objects could be simultaneously rotating and still provide a stable online experience. There was a lot of effort put into it. People were telling us it was crazy, that it couldn’t be done, but here we are. Here we are.”
Sometimes, the biggest ideas begin with the smallest distractions, andThe Cubeis proof of that. What started as a scribble during Bagratuni’s “boring” phone call eventually became what already sounds like one ofMundfish Studio’s most ambitious projects yet. OnceThe Cubeis fully realized, it will ultimately have been because Bagratuni and the team at Mundfish followed their instinct to explore something strange, trust their tech, and build what many said would be impossible.
Atomic Heart
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to a utopian world of wonders and perfection, in which humans live in harmony with their loyal and fervent robots.Well, that’s how it used to be. With the launch of the latest robot-control system mere days away, only a tragic accident or a global conspiracy could disrupt it…The unstoppable course of technology along with secret experiments have brought rise to mutant creatures, terrifying machines and superpowered robots—all suddenly rebelling against their creators. Only you may stop them and find out what lies behind the idealized world.Using the combat abilities granted by your experimental power glove, your arsenal of blades and cutting-edge weaponry, fight for your life in explosive and frenetic encounters. Adapt your fighting style to each unique opponent. Combine your skills and resources, use the environment and upgrade your equipment to overcome challenges and fight for good.
