James Light, producer of the popular World War II shooter Hell Let Loose, has died. He was just 28 years old.
The sad news was confirmed yesterday by community managers posting to the game's subreddit. They revealed that Light passed away back in June, following complications following a cardiac surgery.
Light's career in video games started back in 2018, when he worked in Team17's QA department on Hell Let Loose in the last year before its initial release on PC. In just four years he rose through the ranks, first becoming a production assistant before taking on the role of producer a few months ago.
As producer, Light oversaw the entire PC development side of Hell Let Loose, and "had more knowledge of the game than perhaps anyone else".
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Black Matter Games CEO Max Rea wrote: "Over the course of the last four years, his incredible work ethic, humility and enduring kindness made him a delight to have as a colleague.
"Despite being extremely effective, he was always the first to champion the efforts of others and bring praise to the team as a whole. He had more knowledge of the game than perhaps anyone else - certainly more than me - having reported and studied thousands of bugs - knowing every intricacy and nuance across every aspect of the game.
"As a team, we have thought long and hard as to whether we would share his passing with the community and felt ultimately - with permission of his family - that it is what he would have wanted.
"For as much as this is an in memoriam, it is also a celebration of our colleague and friend, who made an indelible impression on the game that many have spent hundreds or even thousands of hours enjoying. More importantly, he made that same impression on us."
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Fans of the game have since responded to the post with messages of support and love for Light and his family, with many thanking the producer for the "many hours of joy" that Hell Let Loose has given them over the years.
GAMINGbible extends its condolences to Light's family, friends, and colleagues.