Legendary designer Richard "Leolord" Gray has died

Gary started with Duke Nukem 3D before moving on to co-found Ritual Entertainment.

Gary started with Duke Nukem 3D, before moving on to co-found Ritual Entertainment.

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Richard Gray, known to gamers of a certain age as Levelord, has died. Gray's death was reported on social media by Apogee Entertainment, who paid tribute to his "legendary work on Duke Nukem 3D" and the lasting legacy he left behind.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Richard "Levelord" Gray.

From his legendary work on Duke Nukem 3D to the countless players and developers he inspired, Richard leaves a lasting legacy.

— @ ( @.bsky.social ) 2026-10-13T20:34:18.004Z

Gary worked as a level and map designer on numerous shooters in the late 1990s and early 2000s, starting with 1996's Duke Nukem 3D. Shortly after that game's release, he left 3D Realms and founded Hipnotic Interactive, later renamed Ritual Entertainment, including on Quinacour games, including Quinkeur in: Trek: Elite Force 2, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, 25 to Life, and others.

He also gained a very special reputation for the "You're not supposed to be here" easter egg in Duke Nukem 3D, which was only available through cheats.

Gary entered the game business at an old age (relatively for the industry). In a 2016 interview, he said he was 35 when he made his first Doom level and called himself "one of the latecomers in gaming", while Apogee founder Scott Miller said Gray was "in his 40s" when the studio hired him from the Doom mod scene to work on Duke Nukem 3D.

"I hired him to work on Duke 3D in 1994, after seeing some really impressive Doom levels he had done - he was very active in the mod scene," Miller shared with PC Gamer. He then moved to Dallas and worked out of our offices. He connected well with everyone and impressed everyone with his dedication and talent. Richard loved pushing the engine to its limits and he came up with lots of fun level design tricks, for example portals that our other level designers learned from.

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"Richard was also very helpful to anyone who came to him for help with the industry or to become a better designer. He also had a great sense of humor. For example, at Duke 3D he built this hanging jury room. A true legend."

Other developers also paid tribute to Gray on social media:

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Friedrich Schreiber, CEO of Slipgate Ironworkers: "Richard was, without a doubt, one of the kindest people I've ever met in the gaming industry. Super humble, super smart, endlessly creative and always a joy to be around. Human."

I just heard that an old friend of mine reported him. Richard Gray - aka Levelord has left the planet.

I know he's been battling cancer for a while now, a word I can't stand. The word comes from his wife Olga.

— @joesiegler.blog ( @joesiegler.blog.bsky.social ) 2026-10-13T20:34:18.129Z

Andrew Halsholt, Composer: "Richard Gray was one of those industry vets that I always looked forward to hanging out with when I got the chance. He was so smart and I always felt like I learned something just by hanging out with him. Thanks to Rob and Christine Atkins for introducing me to him. R.I.P mate."

Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski: "RIP Richard 'Levelord' Gray. You broke the mold, my friends. Guy paved the way for many level/environment designers."

The devastating news of today's Richard "Lolord" Gray was a wonderful man. Like many of our friends, I wish I could hang out with him again. He was full of life, a gentle soul, and an excellent level designer. He was called "Levelord" for a reason.

— @johnromero.bsky.social ( @johnromero.bsky.social.bsky.social ) 2026-10-13T20:34:17.887Z

I liked the first part of DN3D, but I was more drawn to E2 and E3, which had such distinct designs. We miss you man, you were one of the best

— @johnromero.bsky.social ( @johnromero.bsky.social.bsky.social ) 2026-10-13T20:34:18.264Z

Siegler said Gray had been battling cancer. But the cause of death has not been announced. He was 68 years old.

Andy has been gaming on PCs since he was a teenager, starting with text-adventure and primitive action games on the cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longtime love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He started writing video game news for The Escapist in 2007 and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until he joined the famous PC Gamer community in 2014. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports and Henry Cavill. A lot of Henry Cavill.

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