Legendary Elder Scrolls Dev quits The Wayward Realms project citing failing health

Julian LeFay, a developer revered by many as the “Father of The Elder Scrolls,” has announced his retirement from the video game industry due to an ongoing battle with terminal cancer for the past several years.

The news was shared on July 16 in a YouTube video by OnceLost Games. The gaming community is mourning the loss of a visionary who reshaped the RPG genre and left behind a storied career. His work on The Elder Scrolls series has been nothing short of monumental, impacting the lives of millions of gamers and designers.

Ted Peterson, co-founder of OnceLost Games and longtime colleague of LeFay’s, wrote in a statement:

“He was a charismatic programmer, an erudite personality with a flamboyant pompadour, whose dedication to ambitious game design was both inspiring and infectious. Even in the face of this challenge, Julian’s dedication to The Wayward Realms and all of you, our community, has never wavered. He has worked to ensure that his vision will live on.”

Julian LeFay joined Bethesda Softworks in 1987 and acted as Chief Engineer till 1998, before departing from the studio. During this period, he worked on The Elder Scrolls: Arena and The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall.

These titles paved the way for the open-world RPG genre that we know today. Moreover, he’s known for his work on The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Battlespire and as an independent contractor on the critically acclaimed The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

In 2019, LeFay co-founded OnceLost Games with Bethesda alumni Ted Peterson and Vijay Lakshman to create The Wayward Realms. The project aimed to be a spiritual successor to The Elder Scrolls II and launched a Kickstarter campaign, which raised a staggering $805,512, surpassing the required $500,000. The project promised to revive the scale and freedom of LeFay’s original works.

Despite his ailing health, LeFay remained committed and carefully documented his progress to master what he called “The Grand RPG.” LeFay’s retirement comes amid widespread challenges in the industry, with layoffs happening at Virtuos, the studio responsible for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.