Julian LeFay, ‘Father of The Elder Scrolls,’ Has Died Aged 59, a Week After Stepping Back From Game Development Due to Cancer

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The well-regarded engineer, Julian LeFay, who was famously dubbed the ‘Father of The Elder Scrolls’ series during his time at Bethesda, passed away recently at the age of 59.

Last week, it was revealed that LeFay, currently the co-founder and tech producer at OnceLost Games, has chosen to take a break from game development due to a prolonged fight against cancer. He’s opting to focus on being with his family and dear ones during this challenging time.

Today, OnceLost Games has announced with deep sorrow and a weighted heart that LeFay has passed away.

At OnceLost Games, they didn’t just consider Julian LeFay a fellow worker; instead, he was an innovative pioneer who significantly molded the gaming world into its current form. As often referred to as the ‘Father of The Elder Scrolls’, Julian oversaw the development of iconic games such as Elder Scrolls 1 and 2: Arena, Daggerfall, and Battlespire.

Through his groundbreaking contributions, he laid the groundwork for the development of open-world role-playing games, inspiring a multitude of creators and titles that emerged afterward.

Hailing from Denmark in 1965, LeFay kick-started his profession by contributing to the development of initial Amiga and NES video games. Later on, he joined Bethesda as one of their pioneering team members in 1987.

Following stints on multiple Elder Scrolls games, his journey led him to Sega, and later, he established OnceLost Games in 2019 with the aim of creating a fresh open-world RPG titled Wayward Realms. This project was successfully introduced on Kickstarter as an evolution of Daggerfall.

Julian faced cancer bravely while always maintaining his ardor for OnceLost Games’ The Wayward Realms. Despite being ill, he persisted in sharing his ideas with our team, guiding our developers, and making certain that every element of the game embodied his dedication to crafting something exceptional. His resilience, tenacity, and unyielding focus serve as an inspiration for us all.

The progress on The Wayward Realms will now be steered by Ted Peterson, a former Bethesda colleague and co-founder of OnceLost Games, according to the studio’s decision. The team is more dedicated than ever before to realizing The Wayward Realms as Julian originally conceived it.

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2025-07-23 16:26