Night in the Woods video game creator Alec Holowka dies

Alec Holowka, co-creator of the Night in the Woods video game, has died.

His sister Eilieen Mary Holowka has confirmed the news on Twitter saying he “spent a lifetime battling mood and personality disorders”.

Local Canadian police in Winnipeg are continuing to investigate the details of what happened.

It follows recent claims that he had physically and emotionally abused a female games designer.

The co-creators of Night in the Woods, Scott Benson and Bethany Hockenberry, had distanced themselves from him after the abuse allegations came out.

The game was released in 2017 and covers themes of mental illness, depression, and social immobility according to gaming website Polygon.

Writing on Twitter, Scott Benson says they’ve “received a lot of emails and messages” which has been very “tough”.

“Much of Night in the Woods is pulled pretty directly from our lives.

“Thousands of people have connected with Night in the Woods in a very personal way. Whatever you’re feeling is valid. Your experience with art is yours. What it means to you is yours.”

In Alec’s sister’s tweets about his death she also mentions how he “was a victim of abuse”.

“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.

“In the last few days, he was supported by many Manitoba crisis services, and I want to thank everyone there for their support.”

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can find help at BBC Advice.

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