Traveller RPG co-creator and Origins Hall of Famer Loren Wiseman dies

Influential games designer Loren Wiseman has passed away.

Wiseman founded publisher Game Designers’ Workshop in 1973, through which he released his debut wargame Eagles the following year. Later titles include fellow wargame Pharsalus and the acclaimed roleplaying series Traveller.

After GDW’s closure in the mid-1990s, Wiseman joined Steve Jackson Games, helping to produce RPG franchise GURPS Traveller – including writing the core rulebook and several supplements.

Wiseman picked up the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Adventure for his Twilight: 2000 scenario Going Home and was later inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in 2003 in recognition of his contribution to gaming.

His legacy was reflected by his appearance in a Famous Game Designers set of playing cards produced by Flying Buffalo and cameo on the Illuminati: New World Order ‘Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow’ card.

Steve Jackson announced that Wiseman had died at the age of 65 from apparent heart failure on the SJ Games blog, adding that Wiseman was “one of game design's earliest ‘greats’” and “a good friend”.