Viktor Antonov, visionary artwork director of video games comparable to Half-Life 2 and Dishonored, has died aged 52.
Half-Life author Marc Laidlaw confirmed the information in an automatically deleted Instagram Stories post. “Sensible and authentic,” Laidlaw mentioned of Antonov. “Made every little thing higher.”
In response to a current social media publish by Marc Laidlaw, Viktor Antonov – Half-Life 2’s visionary artwork director – has handed away.
Assuming that is true, we’re extraordinarily saddened to listen to this information. pic.twitter.com/3MqNbXkS64
— LambdaGeneration (@LambdaGen) February 16, 2025
Raphael Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios and present president and inventive director of WolfEye Studios, tweeted to say “You have been instrumental to the success of Arkane Studios and an inspiration to many of us, additionally a pal with whom I’ve many fond recollections.”
RIP Viktor Antonov.
I want I instructed you ways a lot admiration I had for you however we get caught in our lives till a shock lime this hits us.
You have been instrumental to the success of Arkane Studios and an inspiration to many of us, additionally a pal with whom I’ve many fond recollections pic.twitter.com/phdnVH3Scy— Raphael Colantonio (@rafcolantonio) February 16, 2025
Antonov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and moved to Paris earlier than coming into the world of online game growth within the mid-90s at Xatrix Leisure, the Los Angeles-based studio that grew to become Grey Matter Studios. He went on to develop into one of the chief creatives behind the world of Half-Life 2 for Valve, the place he most famously designed Half-Life 2’s iconic Metropolis 17.
Later, Antonov labored on the influential Dishonored as visible design director at Arkane Studios, co-creating Dunwall. Exterior of video video games, Antonov was co-author on animated motion pictures Renaissance and The Prodigies, and labored at an indie manufacturing firm referred to as Darewise Leisure.
In a Reddit AMA held eight years in the past, Antonov mentioned his early profession main into online game growth.
I used to be shaped and began my profession as a transportation designer. Then I labored in commercial, however each of these industries have been very established and did not provide me a lot alternative for inventive danger taking. As a designer, I used to be very fortunate to discover a model new business that would use my abilities. Presently, the online game business didn’t have clearly outline positions and an artist might create complete worlds. So I joined the gaming business comparatively early: my first recreation was Redneck Rampage, a loopy humorous expertise wherein I used to be capable of create a giant half of the artwork & world, earlier than transferring to extra “critical” tasks.
Antonov based mostly the Orwellian Metropolis 17 on his childhood metropolis of Sofia, mixing components from Belgrade and St. Petersburg. “I needed to seize this particular ambiance of Japanese and Northern Europe,” Antonov mentioned.
Most lately, Antonov appeared in Valve’s 20th anniversary documentary for Half-Life 2, the place he mentioned the inspiration behind his work on the mission and its visible design.
Picture credit score: Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Documentary / Valve.
Wesley is the UK Information Editor for IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You’ll be able to attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.