Jennell Jaquays, an influential game designer who shaped everything from first-person shooter Quake to tabletop adventure Dungeons & Dragons, has died aged 67.
The news was announced earlier this week by Jaquays’ wife Rebecca Heineman who shared a brief statement on social media.
Jaquays was diagnosed with the rare neurological condition Guillain-Barré syndrome in October. “We both were convinced we had more time,” Heineman wrote before adding: “To paraphrase Dr Seuss: Don’t cry because Jennell is gone. Smile because she touched your life. I wish that one day, she may touch my life again.”
My wife asked to be cremated. So before she is set alight. She will be wearing her arms so the gates of Valhalla will open wide and welcome her. @JennellAllyn pic.twitter.com/DmeoQryXZC
— Rebecca Heineman (@burgerbecky) January 11, 2024
Jennell Jaquays co-founded Dungeons & Dragons fanzine The Dungeoneer in 1977, which also published several adventures she had penned. She went on to design and illustrate licensed and celebrated D&D modules like Dark Tower and Caverns of Thracia, with the term “Jaquaying the dungeon” still used to mean a player improving the design of a tabletop role-playing game dungeon using the principles she created (via PC Gamer).
In the ‘90s, Jaquays joined id Software where she worked as a designer on titles like Quake 2 and Quake 3 before going on to work on Age Of Empires 3 and Halo Wars. Jaquays also co-founded game developer Olde Skuul alongside her wife and was the owner of Dragongirl Studios.
Jaquays was also the creative director of the Seattle-based Transgender Human Rights Institute and campaigned against conversion therapy for transgender minors.
“Game industry legend Jennell Jaquays passed away today,” wrote fellow dev Delaney King. “If you aren’t familiar with the amazing things she gave us, please take the time and look it up. I cannot do her justice in a tweet. Legend does not do her justice.”
“Jennell [was] always someone I could reach out to when being a queer trans game artist in this world got too much for me. She had been there, done that. She walked so I could, I dunno, flail around vaguely in her footsteps,” she added.
I am saddened to learn of the passing of TSR alumni, Jennell Jaquays, who was a fantastic artist and lovely person. I'll always cherish her amazing cover to my first project for D&D, 1993's "Dragon Mountain". Godspeed, Jennell.
pic.twitter.com/Kq4aiRQMQT
— Tony DiTerlizzi (@TonyDiTerlizzi) January 10, 2024
“What an incredible career and legacy,” wrote Mike Bithell with designer James Introcaso adding: “Jennell Jaquays helped shape fantasy RPGs into what they are today. We lost a great creator today.”
A memorial is being planned for next month, with Heineman working on a livestream. Fans can also donate to a crowdfunder to help Heineman cover funeral costs and medical expenses here.
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