Legendary Bethesda veteran Julian LeFay, well known as the 'father of The Elder Scrolls,' is stepping away from the games industry due to cancer as the team at his studio, OnceLost Games, prepares "to say goodbye to a true legend of the industry."
In an emotional video shared to the OnceLost Games YouTube channel, the creative producer of the studio's upcoming RPG The Wayward Realms, Victor Villarreal, explains that LeFay "has been fighting a battle with cancer for the last several years." While he "fought bravely and strongly [...], it seems he doesn't have very much time left. He has stepped away from the project to spend that remaining time with his family and loved ones."
During his time at Bethesda, LeFay was credited on several of the studio's most notable games, having served as a lead programmer on The Elder Scrolls: Arena and as project lead on Daggerfall. Although he left the company in 1998, in 2019, he went on to form OnceLost Games alongside fellow Bethesda veteran Ted Peterson. Their upcoming game, open-world fantasy RPG The Wayward Realms, was later announced in 2021.
In a statement from Peterson, OnceLost Games' CEO, he talks about LeFay's history in game development and their friendship together, before stating: "Julian has been courageously battling cancer. His doctors have informed us that his time with us is limited, and we are preparing to say goodbye to a true legend of the industry.
"Even in the face of this challenge, Julian's dedication to The Wayward Realms and to all of you, our community, has never wavered. He has worked tirelessly to ensure that his vision for 'The Grand RPG' will live on, but now Julian must step away from OnceLost Games for his health and to live his final moments surrounded by his loved ones."
Peterson continues, noting that LeFay "has complete faith in the ability of the team to bring the game he has envisioned to life for this incredible community. Anticipating this possibility, Julian has documented his vision and concepts well, ensuring the team is left with the resources needed to complete the game. The full game, beyond the Early Access build."
The team at OnceLost Games is encouraging fans to share their memories and well wishes, noting that "your words of support mean more than you know, not just to Julian, but to all of us who have been privileged to work alongside him."
LeFay's team "has already had a chance to say goodbye and give their individual messages, and I sat by his hospital bed, reading them to him," Peterson says. "In that case, I was reading them out loud and Julian was giving me dictation to reply back, which is rather hard to do through my tears.
"To me, this is deeply personal, and I regret every second I didn't spend with one of the most charming, smart, funny, and interesting people I've ever met. It's also a spur to action for me: I will not let down his legacy."
Concluding his statement, Peterson shares "a final quote" from LeFay, which was shared during "our last team meeting." The legendary developer said at the time: "It is personal. And if it's not personal, then you're just doing work for hire and you'll never have the motivation to accomplish a significant goal."
