Kristian Duske, a Mac user and Quake fan, created the TrenchBroom map editor in 2010 because existing editors did not suit his workflow. Over 15 years, TrenchBroom has become a widely used, open-source tool favored by Quake mappers and indie developers for its 3D-centric workflow and support for large maps, despite Duske never making a map himself. The editor’s evolution included a rewrite in C++, a move from wxWidgets to Qt, and ongoing improvements supported by AI-assisted development.
https://funcarena.com/articles/the-quake-fan-who-built-the-map-editor-everybody-uses