Arma 3 renames main island following jailings

Arma 3 was chiefly set on the real-world Greek Island of Lemnos, but developer Bohemia Interactive was somewhat soured on the place after two members were jailed on suspected espionage charges whilst holidaying there. Bohemia has now renamed the island Altis in-game, partially to reflect that they have fiddled with the location a bit but also because, well, you wouldn't want to revisit it after that unpleasantness, would you?

"In view of recent events, the team no longer feels passionate about using the previous name, 'Limnos', and hopes that the new identity, 'Altis', will help emphasize the fictional nature of the game," Bohemia said in the announcement. The nearby island of Stratis, where nobody was arrested on curious charges, will still keep its real-world name.

The jailed Bohemians were released on bail in January after 129 days of imprisonment.

"As part of the creative process, our virtual environments are often rooted in real-life locations and, during development, they evolve and grow along with our design," project lead Joris-Jan van 't Land added. "The resulting fictional environment is often close to its inspiration, but it's never exactly the same - nor would we want it to be. For us, 'Altis' echoes the Mediterranean heart of our island, but differentiates it from any undesired real-life connotations."

Bohemia promises more details on Arma 3's delayed release "later this month." Bohemia is also working on Arma Tactics, a mobile game which may come to PC later.