Doom soundtrack composer Bobby Prince dies aged 81

The video game industry is mourning the loss of Bobby Prince, the composer behind the iconic soundtracks of Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, Duke Nukem 3D, and numerous other classic PC games.

Robert Caskin “Bobby” Prince III died on June 17 at the age of 81, his family confirmed. Before entering the video game industry, Prince served as a platoon leader during the Vietnam War and later worked in counseling and law.

Prince began composing music for video games in the early 1990s and quickly became a key creative partner for id Software and Apogee Software. Over the years, he created music and sound effects for titles including Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, and multiple entries in the Commander Keen series.

Bobby Prince helped define the sound of Doom

Prince is best remembered for composing the soundtrack for Doom and Doom II, whose heavy metal-inspired tracks became synonymous with the legendary first-person shooter franchise.

Just weeks before his death, Prince received another major honor when the Library of Congress selected Doom’s soundtrack for inclusion in the National Recording Registry.

The soundtrack was recognized as one of 25 recordings considered worthy of preservation because of its cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.

Following news of his passing, tributes poured in from across the gaming industry.

Doom co-designer John Romero wrote on X: “Everyone at Romero Games is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bobby Prince. He left an incredible mark on games and on my life.”

Apogee and 3D Realms co-founder George Broussard also paid tribute, describing Prince as “the epitome of a Southern gentleman” and praising both his musical talent and lasting impact on gaming.

“One of Bobby’s defining traits was his ear for melody,” Broussard wrote. “He created tune after tune that you could hum in your head. His music was sticky.”

He added: “Bobby defined a generation of music for early shareware games and he was recognized for his work. His impact is eternal and he’s been a legend for 3 decades. His work lives on and he will be greatly missed.”