Todd Howard joins fans mourning "the driving force in the creation of The Elder Scrolls and the foundations of Bethesda as a game studio," Julian LeFay: "Without Julian, we would not be here today"

Bethesda lead Todd Howard has paid tribute to the "father of Elder Scrolls," Julian LeFay, upon news of his death.

Over on Twitter, Howard calls LeFay a "driving force in the creation of The Elder Scrolls and the foundations of Bethesda as a game studio."

"Simply put, without Julian, we would not be here today," Howard says. "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."

News of LeFay's passing comes from another studio he helped set up, OnceLost Games, which tells fans his "legacy will live on in every realm, every quest, and every moment of wonder" in the upcoming fantasy RPG The Wayward Realms.

LeFay initially joined Bethesda shortly after its formation, helping put together formative Elder Scrolls games like Arena and Daggerfall – such was his influence, the deity Julianos is named after him. He would go on to co-found OnceLost Games alongside other Bethesda veterans before announcing The Wayward Realms in 2021.

Last week, OnceLost Games confirmed that LeFay would be stepping away from the studio to "live his final moments surrounded by his loved ones." Today, the studio said he passed away after a "courageous battle with cancer."

"He touched the lives of millions of players worldwide and inspired countless developers to push creative boundaries," they said, before calling his death "an immeasurable loss for our team, our community, and our industry."