Julian LeFay, 'Father of The Elder Scrolls,' Has Died Aged 59, a Week After Stepping Back From Game Development Due to Cancer - IGN
By Tom PhillipsUpdated: Jul 23, 2025 9:07 amPosted: Jul 23, 2025 5:37 am
3–4 minutes
"His strength, determination, and unwavering focus inspire us all."
UPDATE: Bethesda has now issued a statement on the passing of Julian LeFay, describing its former chief engineer as "the driving force in the creation of The Elder Scrolls and the foundations of Bethesda as a game studio".
"Without Julian, we would not be here today," Bethesda wrote, in an update shared on social media. "If you had the opportunity to work with Julian, you were blessed to know a one-of-a-kind force of nature, who pushed everyone to create something special.
"His work and spirit will live on both in our memories and in our games."
ORIGINAL STORY: Julian LeFay, Bethesda's former chief engineer known among fans as the 'Father of The Elder Scrolls' series, has died aged 59.
It was announced last week that LeFay, now co-founder and technical producer at OnceLost Games, had stepped back from game development after a lengthy battle with cancer, in order to spend time with his family and loved ones.
A statement from OnceLost Games, published today, has now confirmed LeFay's passing — "with profound sadness and heavy hearts".
"Julian LeFay was not just a colleague — he was a visionary who fundamentally shaped the gaming industry as we know it today," OnceLost Games' statement reads. "Known as the 'Father of The Elder Scrolls', Julian directed the creation of legendary titles including Elder Scrolls 1 and 2: Arena, Daggerfall, and Battlespire.
"His pioneering work established the foundation for open-world RPGs and influenced countless developers and games that followed."
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Julian LeFay. Image credit: Shae Jensen/Julian LeFay.
Born in Denmark in 1965, LeFay began his career working on early Amiga and NES games, before becoming one of Bethesda's earliest employees in 1987.
After working on a string of Elder Scrolls titles, his career next took him to Sega, and then ultimately to found OnceLost Games in 2019 to develop a new open-world RPG, Wayward Realms, that was successfully pitched on Kickstarter as a Daggerfall spiritual successor.
"Throughout his courageous battle with cancer, Julian never wavered in his passion for The Wayward Realms," OnceLost Games' statement continues. "Even during his illness, he continued to share his vision with our team, mentor our developers, and ensure that every aspect of the game reflected his commitment to creating something truly extraordinary. His strength, determination, and unwavering focus inspire us all."
Development on The Wayward Realms will now continue under the guidance of fellow former Bethesda veteran and OnceLost Games co-founder Ted Peterson, the studio concluded, with its team "more committed than ever to bringing The Wayward Realms to life exactly as Julian envisioned it".
Image credit: Shae Jensen/Julian LeFay
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
