S.T.A.L.K.E.R. developer Volodymyr Yezhov died near Bakhmut defending Ukraine 

Ukrainian game developer Volodymyr Yezhov passed, while defending Ukraine from the Russian invaders, his brother Vyacheslav Yezhov told the news on Facebook. According to BBC, Volodymyr was a game designer at the studio GSC Game World. He also became the prototype for the character Loki from the group “Svoboda” in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games.

Volodymyr Yezhov was born on August 1, 1984 in Lubny, Poltava Oblast. He graduated from KPI with a degree in electronics engineering. He was also one of the most famous Ukrainian e-sportsmen — played StarCraft under the nickname Fresh. In 2003, he joined the GSC Game World company, which was the developer of such cult games as Cossacks and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Yezhov was involved as a game designer in the development of the game Cossacks 2. He was also one of the authors of the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. In addition, Volodymyr managed to put his work in the games World of Battles: Morningstar, Call of Cthulhu, and Sherlock Holmes: Devil’s Daughter.

After February 24, 2022, Volodymyr Yezhov went to the frontline and fought as part of the volunteer squadron UMO (Ukrainian Military Organization). This was reported by the commander of the unit Yevhen Chepelyanskyi.

The squadron was organized by veterans in January 2022 before the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. Later, the UMO fighters helped repel the Russian attack towards Kyiv.

On March 18, the UMO units received the status of a squadron as part of the 126th Territorial Defense Battalion of the 112th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade. Subsequently, part of the UMO soldiers became part of the 23rd separate special purpose battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“Bakhmut. Holds the ground. It is too difficult to write about the price. Ryba (Oleg Rybalchenko) and Vus (Volodymyr Yezhov) died fighting for Ukraine. They are heroes, they fought heroically. The best fighters of the Defense Forces, the best commanders. Wonderful friends with whom fate introduced me in 2014,”

Yevhen Chepelyanskyi wrote.

Why is it important

While Russian occupation units often consist of former prisoners, Ukrainian defenders are well-educated, highly qualified and successful specialists who worked in various fields before the war. Game development was one of those.

Volodymyr Yezhov was a talented specialist and a father of two. He died defending his Motherland from the invaders who only know how to destroy, loot and kill. If this is not the world you want to live in, support Ukraine.