A new Atomic Heart Q&A dropped, with the developers taking time to discuss the Limbo DLC, as well as future plans for the game. Overall, the Discord Q&A didn't give away too much information on what to expect, but we still got a few tidbits of information to keep fans excited. Additionally, the Q&A also featured discussions about possible elements the devs might explore. Without further ado let's get into this Q&A.

Atomic Heart Q&A – What We Learned About Atomic Heart's Limbo DLC

Firstly, we'll tackle any and all questions related to the Limbo DLC. Warning, Spoiler alerts ahead! We recommend stopping unless you've played at least the base story Atomic Heart. Additionally, watching or playing the Annihilation Instinct DLC is a plus.

And we should mention that the Q&A did not mention the DLC's release date.

  • Atomic Heart Endings Explained & DLC Canon:

The developers received multiple questions asking which DLC follows which ending. For clarification, Annihilation Instinct, or DLC #1, follows the ending where P-3 decides NOT to help Granny Zina and Chariton Zakharov. He lets Sechenov continue with his plan, and leaves facility 3826. The upcoming Limbo DLC #2 follows the longer ending where P-3 (Plutonium) confronts Sechenov. Overall, it turns out Char-les (Chariton) had much more diabolic plans, sending P-3 to Limbo while killing Sechenov and destroying the Alpha Connector.

Therefore, the developers confirmed that the entirety of the Limbo DLC to take place within Limbo itself. While the main structure of Atomic Heart is linear, the story lets players freely explore the grounds of Facility 3826. However, Community Manager Freymute said the Atomic Heart Limbo DLC would be fairly linear. Overall, both endings of the game are supposedly “true”, so do with that info what you will.

One user asked if the story from the DLCs from Atomic Heart have any effect on Atomic Heart 2. Freymute only responded with “All events will have consequences in the future.”

  • Weapons, Abilities & Enemies:

Some fans wanted to know if weapons from the main-game, or from the first DLC make their way into Limbo. However, Freymute said that “since the World of Limbo lives by its own rules, the weapons in it look correspondingly!”

From the trailers and screenshots currently released, we did not see any weapons or combat. Overall, we currently wonder which, if any, enemies or abilities also might find their way into Limbo. In the main-game, we never fought any enemies in Limbo. Additionally, combat in Limbo might work differently than what we've come to expect from the series. Given the world's unique design and lore, Limbo could offer a different kind of combat.

Another fan asked if any glove upgrades make their way into the new DLC. Freymute responded, saying “In Limbo, Nechaev does not exist in his material form, therefore all his abilities from the real world are absent there. However, in the world of Limbo, a completely different system for improving your abilities will be available!”

Another interesting point to add is that without Char-les, would P-3's glove still function? Additionally, we see at multiple points in the trailer that you play as both P-3, and fluffy-like version fans have come to call “Pushistov Newton”. Essentially, you only see this form when in Limbo during the game. Therefore, we're not sure if the glove would even be in the DLC.

  • Characters:

One thing seems certain, and it's that the talking Goose from the first DLC joins us on our journey to Limbo. In fact, Freymute said “Goose has an important gameplay role, and is also part of the story of DLC #2.” Tying back to combat, perhaps Goose himself is a weapon, or some sort of ability. Regardless, we're certainly curious to see where the developer takes our web-footed friend.

Other characters, like Lebedev from DLC #1, likely won't appear in the Limbo DLC. However, it doesn't mean they won't appear again in future content or even the sequel. Additionally, people wanted to know if Katya (P-3's wife, framework for the Twins) would be playable. Freymute responded that she “will remain an important character in the story.”

Veteran Atomic Heart Fans even asked about concept characters like Vertoukhov and Pokryshkin would make an appearance ever. For those who don't know, Atomic Heart was originally called “3826” and created by Mundfish Art Director Artem Galeev. The goal was originally to create a film before moving to game development. On his YouTube channel you'll see all sorts of Atomic Heart concept videos, some of which include these characters.

Freymute said “these characters are from very early game concepts that are not relevant at the moment.” However, while just concepts, Freymute also said “We always remember all our cut materials and return to it if we understand that they could fit well into the current gameplay and its content.” Therefore, don't give up hope of a concept getting trashed because it doesn't fit the story right now.

One fan asked if we'd see other robot variants not seen much in the main-game. This includes robots like Buravs, Clown Traps, or Robo Girl (also known as Dixie). Freymute responded, saying “It's a right place and time to share your feedback with the team, so tell us in #general channel which character we have to show and unravel more!”

  • Ray Tracing Update:

Unfortunately, the developers still need time to work on implementing Ray Tracing to the game. Atomic Heart without a doubt is one of the most visually appealing and unique video games out there. With ray tracing, the game would easily be among the best looking on the market. So to not see it within the game almost one year after launch is disappointing.

  • Expanded Lore

The developers plan to expand the Atomic Heart Universe, though shared no details just yet.

Overall, that included all the information regarding Limbo and future Atomic Heart Content. We look forward to seeing what else the developer plans to unveil before finally launching DLC #2. For those who haven't played DLC #1, you can check it out now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. In our review, we gave the DLC an 8/10.

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