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Gayming Icon and LGBTQ+ games pioneer, Rebecca Heineman, has died
https://gaymingmag.com/2025/11/gayming-icon-and-lgbtq-games-pioneer-rebecca-heineman-has-died/November 18, 2025
Rebecca Heineman, a trailblazing figure in the video game industry and a celebrated icon within the LGBTQ+ gaming community, has died after being diagnosed with cancer only last month. Heineman was crowned Gayming Icon at this year’s Gayming Awards and we were honored that she flew into LA to spend time with her extended LGBTQ+ family and receive their plaudits for an inspiring career.
Rebecca Heineman was an icon in every sense of the word. She first made headlines in 1980 when she became the first-ever national video game champion by winning the Space Invaders tournament held by Atari. That victory kickstarted a career that would help shape the very foundation of modern video games.
As a self-taught programmer and designer, Rebecca helped port and develop some of the most iconic games of the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s. Her fingerprints are on classics like The Bard’s Tale 3: Thief of Fate, Wasteland, and Wolfenstein 3D, amongst several other iconic titles.
Rebecca Heineman, a trailblazing figure in the video game industry and a celebrated icon within the LGBTQ+ gaming community, has died after being diagnosed with cancer only last month. Heineman was crowned Gayming Icon at this year’s Gayming Awards and we were honored that she flew into LA to spend time with her extended LGBTQ+ family and receive their plaudits for an inspiring career.
Rebecca Heineman was an icon in every sense of the word. She first made headlines in 1980 when she became the first-ever national video game champion by winning the Space Invaders tournament held by Atari. That victory kickstarted a career that would help shape the very foundation of modern video games.
As a self-taught programmer and designer, Rebecca helped port and develop some of the most iconic games of the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s. Her fingerprints are on classics like The Bard’s Tale 3: Thief of Fate, Wasteland, and Wolfenstein 3D, amongst several other iconic titles.
