Team17 co-founder Martyn Brown has passed away aged just 57. He worked with the publisher for two decades, helping to oversee the release of games like Worms, Alien Breed, and the PSP remake of Lemmings.
Per a GamesIndustry.biz report, Brown's son Jack confirmed his death following "a prolonged battle with a series of strokes". Jack says Brown passed "on his own terms listening to his favorite music and surrounded by loved ones".
GI.biz points to a number of emotional tributes from other folks in the gaming industry, including one from Riot Games' EMEA publishing director Hannes Seifert, who somberly declares that "the light of our generation of developers is slowly but steadily dimming".
Brown's untimely death comes just a month after he received an award from gaming body Game Republic.
The Games Legend award is reserved for industry figures who've had a major impact on the gaming world, with previous winners including the likes of Revolution Software's Charles Cecil and Noirin Carmody.
Indeed, Game Republic managing director Jamie Sefton was one of the industry figures paying tribute to Brown, calling him "such a friendly, funny person" and describing him as an "industry legend not just for Team17 but also for his incredible support and help" for other devs and gaming figures.
Brown co-founded Team17 in 1990 as a merger between two pre-existing companies: British studio 17-Bit Software and Swedish outfit Team 7. His co-founders include Debbie Bestwick, who stepped down as Team17 CEO earlier this year following allegations of a poor work culture by employees.
He remained with the company for 20 years before departing in 2010, going on to work on the business development and management side of companies like New Star Games and Insight Studios.
As GI.biz says, he's survived by his wife Heather, as well as his children Jack and Harry and his stepdaughter Darcy.
