Team Fortress 2 and Star Fox voice actor Rick May has died after contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The news was shared on Facebook by fellow actors Larry Albert, who worked alongside him in The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and John Patrick Lowrie, who was also a voice actor for Team Fortress 2 alongside May.
People will best remember May for some of his more prominent roles in classic video games. His first ones came in 1997’s Star Fox 64, as both the voice of Star Fox team member and veteran pilot Peppy Hare and the main villain Andross. From there, he went on to provide his talents for games such as Age of Empires II: Age of Kings, where he voiced Genghis Khan, and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, where he voiced Dr. M.
However, while some may consider May’s role as a Star Fox actor to be his most recognizable, others will immediately think of Team Fortress 2’s Soldier. Between 2007 and 2014, he has been voicing the character and appearing in the game and its related shorts.
Rick May was 79 when he passed away on April 8th, 2020. His last video game-related performance was in the Team Fortress 2 short “Expiration Date.” He was a credit to the games he was involved with, and we wish his family and friends the best. Take care of yourselves out there.