Doom composer Bobby Prince dies at 81

Bobby Prince, the composer behind the original Doom soundtrack, died peacefully on Tuesday, June 16th, aged 81. His family confirmed the news in an obituary that described him as a husband, father, veteran, attorney, and musician whose work helped define an era of gaming.

Prince composed the scores for landmark titles including Doom, Doom II, Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, and Duke Nukem 3D. The Video Game Industry gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and earlier this year — in 2026 — the original Doom soundtrack was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress. His family said his work helped establish video game music as a respected art form and influenced generations of players worldwide.

Prince grew up in Athens, Georgia, the son of an Army officer, and later served himself, leading a platoon during the Vietnam War. Music ran through his entire life, from those early years in Georgia through to the compositions that would become inseparable from the games that defined first-person shooters.

Tributes came quickly from the industry. John Romero wrote on X that Prince "left an incredible mark on games and on my life." id Software called him a "video game music pioneer" and said his music "lives on forever."