In a post shared online on Tuesday, a developer from Remedy Entertainment announced that one of their colleagues who had previously worked onMetro Exodushas been killed in the fighting in Ukraine. This tragic news regarding the death of a developer who had worked onMetro Exoduscomes as fighting has intensified in recent weeks in the devastating conflict now entering its eighth month.Beginning in February of 2022 following a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in Ukraine has had a significant impact on the video game industry. Eastern Europe has become a hotbed of game development in recent years, with prominent developers such as CD Projekt Red and countless smaller studios calling the region home, andupcoming games such as Sad Cat Studios’Replacedhave been delayedas developers there have had their lives turned upside down by the conflict. The loss of one of their own in the fighting in Ukraine will surely cut deeply for the development community in the region.RELATED:GoldenEye Remake Reportedly ‘In Limbo’ Due to the War in UkraineIn a post on Twitter today, Remedy Entertainment developer Leonid Stepanov announced that 4A Games developer Andrii “Nizrok” Korzinkin has been killed in a combat mission in Ukraine while fighting for the country’s independence. Korzinkin worked as an animator at 4A Games and was responsible for many of the animations in 2019’s acclaimed first-person shooterMetro Exodus. In the post announcing the sad news, Stepanov shared how Korzinkin was heavily influenced by the work ofGod of Warcreator Cory Barlogand was always eager to learn new skills to become a better developer. Stepanov’s remembrance for his friend highlighted not only Korzinkin’s talent as a developer but also his sense of humor and general good nature.
Responding to the news, fellow game developers and fans of theMetroseries shared their sadness over the tragic loss, with some posting clips of Korzinkin’s animations or quotes fromMetro Exodusin remembrance. In an industry where it can sometimes seem like developers have been relegated to simply being a list of names that appears during the closing credits, this outpouring of support from fans and colleagues alike shows just how important developers like Korzinkin are when it comes to creating these titles. Korzinkin was not the only game developer to take up arms in support of the defense of Ukraine, either, with Ukrainian developer GSC Game World sharing video earlier this year ofSTALKER 2developers undergoing training with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Conflict has been a theme for video games almost since the gaming industry began, from the pixelated corridors of 1992’sWolfenstein 3Dto the ray-traced worlds of upcoming shooters, but the news of Korzinkin’s death serves as a reminder of the tragic consequences of conflict in the real world. Gamers have been a force for good through these real-world hardships, though, raising millions of dollars to support Ukraine and help those affected by the conflictthrough efforts like Humble Bundle’s Stand with Ukraine Bundle. As the fighting continues, it seems clear that gamers will be there to help those affected by the conflict until peace returns.
Metro Exodusis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
