Alec Holowka‘s death was announced by his sister.

Eileen Mary Holowka wrote on Twitter (we won’t link it, as her profile is set to private at the moment…) that her brother, Alec, has passed away – he was the co-designer, coder, and composer of Night in the Woods. The timing is somewhat unfortunate, as he was accused of sexual harassment earlier this week, which is why Holowka’s ties with the game’s dev team have all been cut.

„Those who know me will know that I believe survivors and I have always done everything I can to support survivors, those suffering from mental illnesses and those with chronic illnesses. Alec was a victim of abuse and he also spent a lifetime battling mood and personality disorders. I will not pretend that he was not also responsible for causing harm, but deep down he was a person who wanted only to offer people care and kindness. It took him a while to figure out how. Over the last few years, with therapy and medication, Alec became a new person — the same person he’d always been but without any of the darkness. He was calm and happy, positive and loving. Obviously, change is a slow process and it wasn’t perfect, but he was working towards rehabilitation and a better life,” Eileen Mary Holowka wrote.

She thanked the crisis services and individuals that supported Alec and went on to ask us giving the family time to heal. She also added that Alec specifically wished the best for his accuser and others, „so don’t use our grief as an excuse to harass people. We tried out best to support Alec, but in the end, he felt he had lost too much,” she added.

We can’t say much else. May he rest in peace.

Source: Gamesindustry