Bobby Prince, composer of Doom and Wolfenstein 3D, dies at 81
Bobby Prince helped define the sound of early first-person shooters and composed music for classics including Catacomb 3‑D.
Robert Caskin Prince III, known as Bobby Prince, died June 16 at age 81, according to an obituary posted on Legacy. The notice said those closest to him remembered his kindness, humor, humility, generosity, creativity and deep love of family, and that he approached life with gratitude. Prince created music and sound effects for dozens of classic PC games, most famously Doom and Doom II, as well as Wolfenstein 3D and Catacomb 3‑D. His Doom soundtrack — heavy on homages to bands like Metallica, Judas Priest and Diamond Head — was added to the U.S. Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. His work appears across id Software, Apogee and 3D Realms titles of the 1990s, including Blake Stone, Bio Menace and episodes of Commander Keen; he also worked with Lee Jackson on Duke Nukem 3D and Rise of the Triad. Jackson posted about Prince’s passing on Bluesky, saying Prince was "a teacher, a mentor, and a frie".
