Benoît Sokal, the creator of the cult𓃲 adventures series, Syberia, has died aged ꦰ66.
Video game developer Microids co🥃nfirming earlier today that Brussels-born S⭕okal had died yesterday, May 28, after battling an unspecified long-term illness.
Described as "first and foremost as a storyteller and talented comic book artist", a press release from the company said Sokal "contributed hugely to advancing the video game medium internationally, through a varied and p🍸rolific output over the past 25 years".
It’s with extreme🌳 sadness and heavy hearts that the Microids team must announce the death of Be🌼noît Sokal, who passed on the 28th of May 2021 after battling a long-term illness. The entire Microids team share the grief of his family and friends.//t.co/FkLUwBn7F9 pic.twitter.com/XGBdvjEDri
"A true visionary and extremely talented artist, 💯Benoît left an indelible mark on Microids’ history," a press release said. "He worked hard to share his vision with the world, starting in 1999 with his first title, Amerzone. His♌ distinctive style made the various universes he built unforgettable for thousands of players worldwide, even earning him the position of art director at Microids for a time.
"Benoît is also known and revered for creating the c🔴ult Syberia games. This was a series in which he brilliantly transposed his love for all things Eastern European, all encompassed in uniq🍰ue and singular adventures cherished and loved by a loyal army of fans.
"The entir𓆉e Microids team s𝓰hare the grief of his family and friends."
Tributes from game makers who were inspired by their early adventures in Syberia h🌱ave poured in across social medi𝄹a.
The studio added that "despite his prolific career in video games", Sokal "never let go of his original pas🃏sion", and released the graphic novel Kraa in 2010, as well as the firs✱t graphic novel based on, Aquarica – the series he co-wrote with François Schuiten – in 2017.
Vikki Blake is GamesRadar+'s Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly game🍸s column at NMꦯE, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.
