Did Vladimir Putin Cause Delays To The Remake Of One Of The Most Popular Video Games Of All Time?

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February has been one of the most talked about global events of 2022. The event has also caused prices to rise in certain sectors such as oil and agriculture. The video game sector may also have been impacted by the war with a long-anticipated rumored game now delayed.

What Happened: Ranked as one of the best video games of all-time on many lists, fans have longed for a remake of the 1997 video game GoldenEye 007 on new generation consoles. A remake of the game that would be released on Xbox consoles from Microsoft Corporation MSFT has not been officially announced or confirmed. The original game was released by Rare, which is now owned by Microsoft.

Video game reporter Jeff Grubb of Venturebeat responded to a user on Twitter Inc TWTR asking about the rumored game.

“GoldenEye is still in limbo because of the war,” Grubb tweeted.

The war mentioned in Grubb’s tweet likely refers to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the invasion a “special military invasion” instead of a war. The invasion could have impacted the release or announcement of the GoldenEye 007 video game due to the subject matter.

Based on the 1995 movie “GoldenEye,” which grossed $106 million domestically and $352 million globally, the movie features the Soviet Union as one of the main countries involved. Set in the Soviet Union in 1986, the movie’s plot centers on potential chemical weapons and international conflicts led by the country. The movie also featured countries such as Kyrgyzstan that were formerly part of the Soviet Union before its collapse in 1991.

It is possible given Grubb’s comments that Microsoft has chosen to delay the game or an announcement until after the conflict in Ukraine is resolved given the focus of what is now Russia and nearby countries being part of the game’s plot.

Related Link: Say Goodbye to 'President Vladimir Putin: Here's What The Russian Leader Could Be Called Next 

Why It’s Important: Released in 1997, Goldeneye 007 was one of the bestselling games of all time on the Nintendo 64 console from Nintendo Co NTDOY. The game sold more than eight million copies and trails only Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64 for sales on the console.

Rumors heated up in February about the potential remake of GoldenEye 007, as reported by ScreenRant. A prototype of the new game leaked online earlier this year.

A remake of the game was released in 2010 by Eurocom for the Nintendo Wii console. The game would also later be available for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 from Sony Group Corp SONY.

Some of the rumors of the game being released in 2022 include reference to several milestones for the Bond franchise. The year 2022 is the 60th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise with the first movie “Dr. No” being released in the U.K. on Oct. 5, 1962 and later in the U.S. on May 8, 1963.

The original GoldenEye 007 video game was released on Aug. 25, 1997, making this year the 25th anniversary of the well-loved game.