Viktor Antonov, the key mind behind Half-Life 2's City 17, has died

Former Valve and Arkane colleagues wage tribute

One of video gaming's large municipality fabulists, Half-Life 2 creation manager and Dishonored ocular decorator Viktor Antonov, has died astatine the young property of 52.

While determination has yet to beryllium a ceremonial announcement from Antonov's family, respective of his aged colleagues person posted goodbye messages connected societal media. "I didn't privation to accidental overmuch till I felt it was confirmed, but I learned contiguous that Viktor Antonov, our visionary creation pb connected HL2, has died," Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw wrote successful an Instagram station passed connected by Eurogamer. "I don't person details. Just sadness. Brilliant and original. Made everything better."

"RIP Viktor Antonov," added WolfEye Studios originative manager and Arkane laminitis Raphael Colantonio connected Twitter. "I privation I told you however overmuch admiration I had for you but we get caught successful our lives until a astonishment lime this hits us. You were instrumental to the occurrence of Arkane Studios and an inspiration to galore of us, besides a person with whom I person galore fond memories."

Born successful Sofia, Bulgaria, Antonov started retired successful gaming arsenic a representation creator for Redneck Rampage successful 1997. He subsequently worked connected creation deco-inspired shooter Kingpin: Life Of Crime, earlier landing a reputation-making occupation astatine Valve successful 2004. He was the rule caput down Half-Life 2's City 17, a wintry expanse of Brutalist factual and Combine panopticons, which continues to power much pessimistic sci-fi crippled developers today. I'm confess, I'm much fond of his achievements arsenic ocular decorator for Dishonored's oily brickwork labyrinth Dunwall.

Following the merchandise of Dishonored, Antonov worked successful much of a supporting relation connected respective ZeniMax Media projects. He consulted connected improvement of 2016's Doom reboot and 2017's Prey. He besides worked connected a fig of cancelled games, including Arkane's hybrid FPS The Crossing and Bethesda Game Studios Austin's multiplayer offering Battlecry. In 2022, Antonov co-founded Eschatology Entertainment to enactment connected the mysterious Project DG, a crippled astir a gunslinger exploring a satellite "on the verge of destruction".

Rest successful peace.