Duke Nukem 3D level designer Richard Levelord Gray dies aged 68

Level designer Richard Gray, widely known as Levelord, has died at the age of 68. Apogee Entertainment announced his death on social media, while Kotaku reported that news of his death was first shared online by his wife. PC Gamer published dates showing Gray was born on November 15, 1957, and died on October 12, 2026. [1][3][4][6][9]

Gray began his career as a level designer on the first-person shooter Duke Nukem 3D, which launched in 1996, GamesIndustry.biz reported. He later left developer 3D Realms to co-found Hipnotic Interactive, which was subsequently renamed Ritual Entertainment. At Ritual, he worked on games including Quake: Scourge of Armagon, Sin, Star Trek: Elite Force 2, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, and 25 to Life. [1][3][4][10][13]

Ars Technica reported that Gray later transitioned to designing casual titles, including the Luxor series, after Ritual Entertainment was acquired by publisher MumboJumbo. Tributes from game developers and industry colleagues have since been shared across the internet, according to Time Extension and Ars Technica. [2][3][5]