Robert “Bobby” Caskin Prince III, the composer behind the original Doom, passed away at the age of 81 on June 16, 2026.

Earlier this year, the original Doom soundtrack was added to the Library of Congress for preservation, recognizing the impact of one of the medium's most influential scores.

His family announced his passing via an obituary. The lengthy message from his family mentioned that Prince III passed away "peacefully."

According to Legacy.com, the veteran composer is survived by his wife, Connie Freeman Prince, along with his sister, two sons, granddaughter, and numerous other family members and friends. While his family did not disclose a cause of passing, Prince leaves behind a lasting legacy in the gaming industry.

He famously gave Doom and Doom II their original rock-metal-infused sound. One could say he was present and partly responsible for the games that gave birth to the first-person shooter genre.

His influence extended beyond Doom. Prince was also the composer behind other iconic games such as Wolfenstein 3D and Catacomb 3-D by id Software.

With the developer, Prince created soundtracks for other popular games such as Blake Stone, Duke Nukem 3D, and Rise of the Triad: Dark War.

His last composition credit was Wrack in 2014 for Final Boss Entertainment.

More about Robert "Bobby" Caskin Prince III

Bobby Prince was a gifted and highly experienced music composer. His interest in music developed early, and he founded the R&B band the Jesters in 1964.

Legacy.com also notes that Prince was a veteran who served as a platoon leader in the United States Army from 1969 to 1970. After completing his military service, he pursued a career in education and earned a Master of Education degree in counseling.

He also pursued a career in law and passed the bar in 1980, practicing as an attorney for several years.

However, his most notable work came from his compositions for games like Doom and Wolfenstein 3D.

Through his contributions to some of gaming's most iconic titles, Prince leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire future generations of developers and composers.

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Written by

Prit Chauhan

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav