In very somber news, we lost a talent in the world of video games and game development on November 29th, 2016.
Stephen Hornback passed away on Saturday due to a heart attack. He was 62. Hornback is best known for his work at Apogee Software (which later created the publishing label 3D Realms and went on to adopt it as its primary brand) on everything from Duke Nukem II to Rise of the Triad to Shadow Warrior. He also claimed responsibility for designing the original 3D Realms logo, which is still in use today.
3D Realms marked Hornback’s passing with a Facebook post today that included obituary details and the following remembrance from Apogee founder Scott Miller:
“He was the first artist I hired in the early ’90s and he was a great artist working during a time when the tools and techniques were very primitive. My highest respect for him. His work will live on forever in Rise of the Triad, Duke Nukem 3D and several other games.”
Reported originally by Gamasutra, this news is horrible to hear. Stephen Hornback was a talent that helped create games that are fondly remembered today. Working on the early versions of Prey, working on Duke Nukem II and 3D and many other amazing games, he did a lot for the gaming industry.
He will be fondly remembered by the gaming community for the foreseeable future. Thank you Stephen for producing some of gaming’s most influential titles. We will always remember you.