Stewart Gilray, a veteran game developer behind the Oddworld remasters, has died

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The Just Add Water founder was 51.

Stewart Gilray
(Image credit: Stewart Gilray via Twitter)

Longtime UK game developer Stewart Gilray died on Thursday after contracting Covid-19 in December, reports GamesIndustry.biz. Gilray founded game studio Just Add Water in 2006, specializing in ports and remaster work as well as developing original games.

Gilray's game development career stretches back well before the founding of Just Add Water. In the early '90s he was a programmer on Amiga games including Darkmere, published by Tomb Raider studio Core Design, and Bullfrog Productions' Powermonger, designer Peter Molyneux's follow-up to Populous.

Gilray's studio Just Add Water is best known for helping revitalize the Oddworld series. In 2010, Just Add Water took on the development of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD, bringing the unique shooter to PC and new consoles. The studio went on to create an HD port of Oddworld: Munch's Odysee, and also co-developed Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty, a full remake of the first game in the series.

"It's unbelievable to think that we lost Stewart Gilray today at the young age of 51," wrote Digitical Eclipse studio head Mike Mika. "CEO and Founder of Just Add Water, but more so a prominent figure and blueprint for success in games, not just monetary success, but success in everything that matters. RIP."

"Covid cut short his life and destroyed so much. He was the nicest bloke I knew, stubborn as hell, and always there for me," wrote Q-Games CEO Dylan Cuthbert.

Wes Fenlon
Wes Fenlon
Senior Editor

Wes has been covering games and hardware for more than 10 years, first at tech sites like The Wirecutter and Tested before joining the PC Gamer team in 2014. Wes plays a little bit of everything, but he'll always jump at the chance to cover emulation and Japanese games.


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