In a somber tweet this morning, the official Guerrilla Games Twitter account announced the loss of its lead producer Patrick Munnik. A memorial post showed that he passed away on June 10 at only 44 years old. Munnik played a key role in some of the studio’s biggest hits in recent years.
Munnik had been with Amsterdam-based developer Guerrilla Games since 2011. His work with the company included the 2013 release Killzone: Shadowfall, a PlayStation 4 launch title. The most iconic of his efforts came with the 2017 hit Horizon Zero Dawn, which received massive success and high acclaim from most critics and millions of fans. Horizon Zero Dawn remains in the top-selling PlayStation 4 games of all time as of writing.
The official tweet from Guerrilla Games informing the community of this unexpected loss reads:
“It is with great shock and sadness we inform you that our lead producer Patrick Munnik is no longer with us. We are eternally grateful to have had our greatly valued and much loved Patrick on our team.”
It is with great shock and sadness we inform you that our lead producer Patrick Munnik is no longer with us. We are eternally grateful to have had our greatly valued and much loved Patrick on our team. pic.twitter.com/IpeNvSMmht
— Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) June 13, 2019
Guerrilla Games has received an outpouring of support from fans and Munnik’s colleagues alike. In a statement on Twitter, Guerrilla Games’ managing director and co-founder Hermen Hulst said of Munnik, “His reassuring presence, his great humor, and most importantly, his friendship will be sorely missed by our entire team.”
At only 44 years old, Munnik had accomplished great things in the gaming industry and was beloved by his colleagues. In interviews about the production behind his games, Munnik would frequently attribute success to the input of members from his whole team. His passing is a loss for the entire gaming community.
A cause of death has not been announced. While more information may come forward in time, it’s important to remember Munnik’s friends and family first. Munnik leaves behind a wife and children.
Our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues at Guerrilla Gaming.
