“A mentor and an inspiration to many”: Skywind devs pay tribute to modder Kettlewitch, whose death has left another Skyrim mod’s future up in the air
Veteran Skyrim modder Kettlewitch (David Purcell) has passed away on June 15th following a six-month battle with lung cancer. The Skywind development team, a community project remaking The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind within Skyrim, released a tribute to the modder, describing him as “a mentor and an inspiration to many” in the modding community.
Kettlewitch was a prolific figure in the Skyrim modding scene, contributing to several ambitious remake projects over the years. Beyond his work on Skywind, he was involved with Skyblivion, a community effort to remake The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and Thras: The Coral Kingdom, another large-scale mod project. His death has cast uncertainty over the future of these mods, particularly Thras, whose development team acknowledged the impact of his passing.
The tribute from fellow developers emphasized Kettlewitch’s genuine desire to help people within the modding community, highlighting his mentorship and positive influence on others working on complex modification projects. His contributions to these ambitious remake projects have been instrumental in preserving and reimagining classic Elder Scrolls titles through community-driven development, a cornerstone of the modding culture surrounding Bethesda’s games.