Actor Dimitri Diatchenko, who voiced characters in over 30 games, dies at 52

Dimitri Diatchenko in the film They're Watching. (Image credit: Amplify Releasing)

Actor Dimitri Diatchenko, who was a frequent presence in videogames over the past two decades, died on April 21 at 52 years old. According to CNN, the cause of death has not been determined, but Diatchenko is said to have been recovering at home from an electric shock he received at work on April 13. Police have found "no signs of foul play," CNN says.

Many of his game credits are for unnamed characters, but Command and Conquer fans may recognize Diatchenko as Oleg Vodnik in Red Alert 3:

Diatchenko was born in San Francisco to Ukrainian immigrants, and was also an accomplished classical guitarist and former national Tae Kwon Do heavyweight champion.

Coincidentally, Gene Dynarski, who played Stalin in the original Red Alert, died in February.

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.