Games industry veteran Martyn Brown has died aged 57.
He spent over 35 years working in video games and is best known for his time at Team17, which he co-founded in 1990. During his time at the publisher and developer, Brown helped direct, produce and create over 50 video games. including the iconic Worms and Alien Breed series.
In the years since Team17, Brown formed the consulting group Insight For Hire and has supported studios such as Double Eleven, Exient and New Star Games. He also helped set up Activision's mobile studio, The Blast Furnace, in Leeds in 2012.
As well as working directly with the studios, he was an influential figure in the formation of northern England networking group Game Republic in 2003.
He is survived by his sons Jack, Harry, stepdaughter Darcy and his wife Heather.
“Martyn passed away peacefully in his sleep at 8:17 a.m. on December 28, 2024, surrounded by his family, after a prolonged battle with a series of strokes.” Jack Brown wrote. “Know that you went out on your own terms listening to your favorite music and surrounded by your loved ones.”
Friends and industry colleagues have posted numerous tributes over the past two days.
In a moving tribute, games industry consultant, CTO and BAME at Games Chair Kish Hirani wrote: “I first met Martyn at his Team17 office when my engineers and I (PlayStation Dev Services) visited his studio. It was in 2008, when Worms 2 Armageddon was being developed for PS3. My engineers spent time with the team. and I sat down with Martyn in his office, assessing the team's 'emotional intelligence' culture, as I always did with the studios we visited.
“We became very close after I was fired from PlayStation and landed a top-secret VR project with Porsche in 2016. As it was a remote project and my only direct communication was with Porsche's headquarters in Stuttgart, I needed someone to talk to. 'out loud' I used to go stay at his house and do the annual group trips to Galway for his birthday in January. He would have turned 58 next month.
“I was never a big drinker and I never will be. He would respect that and still find opportunities to play with me. At an EGX party he asked me what I would like to drink and I said, 'Just a glass of red, please.' He came back with a pint of beer for him and a pint of British red wine for me. It took me all night, but I finished it.
He added: “I gained a lot of mirror fame (and a fair amount of infamy) from association with Martyn. I came to expect random people in the industry to approach me because of Martyn, he was a natural connector of people. Like at the Nordic Game party in San Francisco, GDC a few years ago, when Rico Homles came and simply kissed me on the cheek and uttered three words that I take as a badge of honor: “Friend of Martyn Brown!”
“I'm going to miss you a lot, my dear friend, my brother from another mother. RIP.”
General Director of Cooperative Innovations Simon Barratt He said he had become close friends with Martyn Brown over the past 19 years and is the person the industry will miss the most.
“We had some amazing times on trips to Galway (an annual pilgrimage for his birthday), Perudo games, houseboats in Sausalito, commandeering people's phones and trips to Hull vs Leeds matches… Martyn He brought humor, warmth and down-to-earth (sometimes brutal) advice and camaraderie wherever he went. Martyn's impact across Team17, Insight For Hire, Blast Furnace and New Star Games, as well as his contribution to Game Republic, he is legendary but he is the person who really made life a little more fun.”
“He was a genuine person and very loved by everyone, whether they were apprentices or veterans”
Former video game PR leader and leadership coach. Carolina Stokes agreed: “Martyn cared. And as we all know, it was a lot of fun,” he wrote.
“She's the only person I've ever met in my life, besides my grandmother, who could talk soul to soul. Northern soul. I felt blessed to have had that conversation.”
Business Development Veteran Chris Buckley He said that after he immigrated to Canada, Brown frequently messaged him when he flew over where he was moving.
“I met Martyn in 2000 and then saw him at every show somewhere in the world for the next 20 years. What sad news, thank you for always being you, being a friend and, well, the industry has lost a legend” .
There are numerous stories of Brown's unsolicited support and encouragement. Robert Troughtongame leader for Pitbull Studios, Coconut Lizard, Epic Games and more, remembers meeting him in a London pub during the early days of Pitbull Studios' formation.
“Martyn offered me great advice and really helped me a lot in those early days,” he explained.
“He was always, always happy to help with advice, introductions and very easy to talk to, no matter who you were. A real person and much loved by everyone, whether apprentice or seasoned veteran. I remember at Develop in Brighton, I was so excited to take a photo with Notch, who had actually just made it big with Minecraft… and I say “but… you're Martyn Brown. I should ask for your photo! Huge, huge loss to the UK gaming industry. “
Industry veteran Kirsty Payne recalled a controversial incident: “He had a huge sense of fun, he was extremely mischievous, totally fun-loving but also kind, considerate and always looked out for his friends and kept in touch with everyone.
“When he visited me… he brought me the best pork pies and scotch eggs and the only cross words we had over the years was over #HandbagGate when he hid a plate full of fish goujons in my bag at the party. launch of the London Games Festival. …I opened my bag at a meeting the next day and found a horrible stench and my bag was ruined now I find it funny, but I didn't find it very funny at the time.
“Needless to say, the lovely Martyn sent me a beautiful new leather bag as an apology… I'm going to look for that bag he bought me about 20 years ago, and I'll appreciate it even more now. Goodbye, lovely, lovely man “.
Riot Games Senior Director of Publishing EMEA Hannes Seifert He said it was a great honor to have known Martyn Brown for more than 28 years.
“I'm glad our paths have crossed many times and it was always a joy. May you rest in peace. The light of our generation of developers is slowly but steadily going out. Yours was one of the brightest. We will miss you dearly.
More tributes to follow.