“Father Of Elder Scrolls” Stepping Away From Industry Due To Ailing Health

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Veteran video game creator Julian LeFay, famously called the “Father of The Elder Scrolls,” has decided to leave the industry because of his deteriorating health.

LeFay, along with other ex-Bethesda developers, established OnceLost Games as an independent game studio in 2019, and they’ve been developing a new role-playing game titled The Wayward Realms. Unfortunately, producer Victor Villarreal shared in a video that LeFay has been battling cancer for several years now, and it appears he doesn’t have much time left. He has shown great courage and strength during his struggle.

Villarreal announced that LeFay decided to depart from the game studio in order to focus on spending time with his family and dear ones. He also mentioned that the studio had been anticipating LeFay’s eventual departure, and that LeFay clearly communicated his ideas for the game to the team. The team is committed to working diligently to realize those ideas.

Back in 1992, Ted Peterson reminisced about his acquaintance with LeFay. In an interview for a junior writer role at Bethesda, he encountered LeFay and shared that he had no experience in game development prior to this encounter. As he left the company, LeFay advised him to ditch his formal attire. Peterson described LeFay as an unconventional individual, towering, slender, ruggedly attractive with a constant scowl, and boasting one of the most impressive pompadour mullets ever seen.

According to Peterson, LeFay holds a strong affection for traditional tabletop role-playing games. He further mentioned that The Elder Scrolls: Arena, which later materialized, was the dream project for LeFay.

In reference to the recently announced game, Wayward Realms, Peterson mentioned that it stemmed from a discussion he had with LeFay some years back. At that time, LeFay was contemplating how he would approach the early Elder Scrolls games differently today, taking advantage of his extensive experience, while still adhering to the same fundamental principles.

Later, we discussed potential ideas for design and storytelling based on my extensive background in various games and television productions, and we mutually agreed to collaborate on this project, according to Peterson.

As a devoted admirer, I’ve been following the inspiring journey of LeFay as he bravely fights cancer. Regrettably, recent updates from his medical team indicate that his time among us is becoming increasingly scarce. Consequently, he has decided to take a step back, a decision that we all understand and respect.

Julian needs to take a break from OnceLost Games due to health reasons and spend his remaining time with his loved ones. Peterson shared that Julian has faith in the team’s ability to bring his vision for the game to fruition for the amazing community. The team’s words of support are greatly appreciated, not just by Julian, but by everyone who has worked with him. They have already bid their farewells and expressed their feelings individually, and at the hospital, I read their messages to Julian, who dictated his replies back to me. This was a challenging task given my emotional state.

As an ardent admirer, I’m proud to share that LeFay boasts a remarkable portfolio of 36 credits across 21 captivating games. Among these, he was instrumental in the creation of the iconic Elder Scrolls series, the gripping Wayne Gretzky Hockey, the thrilling The Terminator 2029, the enchanting Dragon’s Lair, and the intriguing Where’s Waldo. In 1998, LeFay chose to part ways with Bethesda, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire gamers worldwide.

As an ardent enthusiast, I excitedly anticipate my upcoming journey into the captivating realm of “The Wayward Realms,” a spiritual offshoot of the legendary “The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. This enchanting role-playing game promises to fuse classic design ideologies with state-of-the-art technology, courtesy of Unreal Engine 5. Although it’s yet to be announced when we can embark on this quest via Steam Early Access, the promise of an immersive, old-school RPG experience is more than enough to keep me eagerly waiting!

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2025-07-17 17:39