Richard 'Levelord' Gray, Duke Nukem 3D and Quake level designer, dies at 68

[BretHart_X]

Richard Gray, the level designer known to players as Levelord, has died aged 68. Kotaku reports that the news was confirmed by Apogee and people close to him, and his wife shared it online. He leaves a wife and a daughter. Our thoughts are with his family and friends

Gray's career started late by games industry standards. He only began making Doom maps at 35, and joined the Duke Nukem 3D team in his 40s. That makes his influence even more remarkable, because the levels he built in the 1990s shaped how a whole generation thought about shooter design

He went on to co-found Ritual Entertainment, which worked on Quake's Scourge of Armagon expansion, Sin, Star Trek: Elite Force 2 and Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. His Quake level The Edge of Oblivion is widely credited as the first islands in space shooter map, a style that became a staple of arena games

Duke Nukem 3D fans will also remember the hidden message You're not supposed to be here, which Gray tucked into the game. Little touches like that showed his sense of humour and the care he put into his work

John Romero called him a gentle soul and an excellent designer, and Apogee founder Scott Miller said his levels will live on forever. Many of us spent countless hours in the worlds he built. He was a true pioneer of level design

What are your favourite Levelord levels? And how much did Duke Nukem 3D and Quake shape your love of shooters?

Famous And Innovative Duke Nukem, Quake Level Designer 'Levelord' Has Diedkotaku.com