Tributes paid after Just Add Water founder Stewart Gilray dies aged 51
"He was the nicest bloke I knew..."
Members of the UK video game industry have paid warm tributes to Just Add Water founder Stewart Gilray, who has died aged 51.
Gilray, who headed up the Leeds-based developer of Gravity Crash and various Oddworld titles after founding the studio in 2006, was hospitalised with Covid just before Christmas, and after fighting the disease over the last few weeks, passed away this morning.
"A lovely, funny guy, family man, musician and game developer running @jawltd," Jamie Sefton, managing director of Game Republic and Game Makers Yorkshire, tweeted. "He was one of us. Will miss him hugely. Love to his family."
"Covid cut short his life and destroyed so much," said Q-Games boss Dylan Cuthbert.
"He was the nicest bloke I knew, stubborn as hell, and always there for me. RIP stew, you daft bugger."
"@stewartgilray was a good bloke and mentor, and I was glad when we finally got the chance to work together on Volume: Coda," Thomas Was Alone creator Mike Bithell said.
"An old guard who always had time for the new folks who needed it. Far too fucking soon. Cheers Stew."
"Stew was such a good friend and a great ally," Romero Games boss Brenda Romero said. "I'm going to miss our convos, stupid investigations into bullshit things, just everything."
Before founding Just Add Water, Gilray worked as a programmer at the likes of Psygnosis and Bullfrog. More recently, Just Add Water helped revive the Oddworld franchise, and worked on the likes of Sniper Elite VR.
Stewart Gilray is survived by his wife Bec, son and daughter.