Bobby Prince, the composer whose MIDI-fueled riffs turned id Software's corridors into anthems for a generation of PC gamers, has died at 81. His family confirmed he passed peacefully on June 16 after an illness, with tributes pouring in from the studios he helped define.

Prince scored Doom, Doom II, Wolfenstein 3D, Duke Nukem 3D, and Rise of the Triad, crafting soundtracks that blended heavy metal nods with the technical limits of Sound Blaster cards and Roland synths. The Doom soundtrack's May 2026 induction into the U.S. National Recording Registry cemented its place in cultural history, a rare honor for game audio that underscores how his work transcended pixels and polygons.

John Romero called the loss deeply personal, noting Prince "left an incredible mark on games and on my life," while id Software simply stated his music "lives on forever." Those tracks still echo in modern ports, mods, and speedruns—proof that some legends don't need remasters to stay relevant.