Atomic Heart composer Mick Gordon is donating his fee to aid Ukraine

Mick Gordon, the renowned composer of the modern Doom games and Killer Instinct, has revealed that he has donated his fee for his work on the upcoming Atomic Heart to the Australian Red Cross’ Ukraine Crisis Appeal, which supports people affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Gordon took to Twitter yesterday to announce and elaborate on his decision, saying that he believes his donation will positively impact those in need and that “the world must continue to demand an end to this aggression and stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”

Related: Atomic Heart developer Mundfish reportedly crunched and mistreated employees

Many fans will know Mick Gordon for his heavy metal and electronic soundtracks that have featured in games such as Doom 2016 and its 2020 sequel Doom Eternal, as well as the fallout between himself and Bethesda. The latter incident led to him not being involved in the Doom Eternals DLC and seemingly saying he will not work with the studio again.

This statement from Gordon comes after multiple allegations and controversies surrounding Atomic Hearts and its developer Mundfish in recent months. The most notable allegation has been the question of whether the game has received funding from Russian authorities. The developers released a statement attempting to address these allegations, saying they are “a pro-peace organization against violence against people.” However, their lack of transparency and failure to specifically deny the allegations only added fuel to the fire.

Related: Atomic Heart is delivering a visually impressive dystopian world with big BioShock vibes – Hands-on impressions

Additionally, the developer has had to deny claims that they are collecting user data and providing it to the Russian government after a damning report by AIN.Capital, alleging that the user data may be sent to Russian state authorities. This is on top of the fears from players that if there is truth to the studio’s ties to the Russian government, that purchasing the game may indirectly be funding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

About the author

Matthew Fuller

Matt is a freelance writer based in the UK and has spent over three years covering and writing about video games. He discovered his love of games journalism while attending Canterbury Christchurch University, where he earned a bachelor's and master's degree in Game Design and has been writing ever since. He will find any excuse to play and write about games. When he isn't fighting dragons or exploring far-off galaxies, he spends his free time playing D&D, listening to music, or reading a good book. His primary game bests are Diablo IV, the Final Fantasy series, D&D, and anything new releasing that tickles his fancy.

More Stories by Matthew Fuller