Legendary level designer Richard 'Levelord' Gray has died

Richard Gray, better known to gamers of a certain age as Levelord, has died. Gray's death was reported on social media by Apogee Entertainment, who paid tribute to his "legendary work on Duke Nukem 3D" and the lasting legacy he left behind.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Richard “Levelord” Gray.From his legendary work on Duke Nukem 3D to the countless players and developers he inspired, Richard leaves behind a lasting legacy.Rest in peace, Levelord.

— @apogeeent.com (@apogeeent.com.bsky.social) 2026-10-13T20:34:18.004Z

Gray worked as a level and map designer on numerous shooters in the late 1990s and early 2000, beginning with Duke Nukem 3D in 1996. Shortly after that game launched, he left 3D Realms and co-founded Hipnotic Interactive, later renamed to Ritual Entertainment, where he worked on games including Quake: Scourge of Armagon, Sin, Star Trek: Elite Force 2, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, 25 to Life, and others.

He also earned a very specific fame for his "You're not supposed to be here" Easter egg in Duke Nukem 3D, which was only accessible via cheating.

Gray came to the game business at a (relatively, for the industry) advanced age. In a 2016 interview with Duke64Nukem.com he said he was 35 when he made his first Doom level, calling himself "a late bloomer with games," while Apogee founder Scott Miller said Gray was "in his 40s" when the studio hired him out of the Doom mod scene to work on Duke Nukem 3D.