Bobby Prince, the composer behind the soundtracks for Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem 3D, has died at the age of 81. His family confirmed he passed away peacefully on 16 June.
Robert Prince III, known professionally as Bobby Prince, worked with id Software and Apogee during the early days of PC gaming. His compositions helped shape the audio for titles including Commander Keen, Rise of the Triad and Doom II.
Family members described him as a veteran, attorney and musician whose work defined an era of game sound. The obituary noted that his Doom soundtrack was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress in 2026.
Tributes came from industry figures. Scott Miller called him a pioneer and innovator. John Romero wrote that Prince left an incredible mark on games and on his life. id Software posted that his music lives on forever.
Prince began his game work after responding to a job post on Prodigy forums while still practising law. Colleagues remembered him as generous with his knowledge and a key figure in early video game music.
