Bohemia Interactive renames Arma 3 island to avoid 'undesired real-life connotations'

Arma 3 developer Bohemia Interactive has decided to rename its in-game island, scrapping the name "Limnos" to avoid "undesired real-life connotations" with the real-life island it was inspired by, the developer announced today.

The island will be renamed "Altis," which the developer feels adequately expresses its "distinctive Mediterranean identity" and environment without linking to the real-world Greek island of Lemnos.

Lemnos was chosen as the blueprint for Arma 3's environment after Bohemia CEO Marek Spanel visited the island several years ago on vacation. The decision to rename the island is due to the arrest of two of Bohemia's developers, who were imprisoned on espionage charges while vacationing on the island last year. The pair, Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar, were released on bail earlier this month.

In a press statement, Bohemia said it "no longer feels passionate about using the previous name" and hopes the island's renaming will reinforce its fictional identity.

"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," said project lead Joris-Jan van 't Land. "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."

Military simulator Arma 3 is scheduled for release this year.