
Julian Lefay was a renowned game designer, known to many as the “father of The Elder Scrolls.” Unfortunately, he has been struggling with cancer for years and was informed by his doctors who have a short life.
The message was shared by Ted Peterson, Julian’s companion at OnCELOST Games Studio, with whom he had a long friendship since they created the first game in the Elder Scrolls series together.
Because of this, the developer decided to move away from the industry, wishing to spend his last moments surrounded by his loved ones.
Ted Peterson, who was also a designer of the franchise’s first game, said Julian Lefay was fundamental in the creation of The Elder Scrolls: Arena and Daggerfall, being responsible for “Really lead the initial development of the series”.
Julian Lefay joined Bethesda Softworks in 1987 and became chief programmer and an essential creative force of the studio. He served as programmer and director in several original franchise titles, such as Arena, Daggerfall and Battlespire.
The developer left Bethesda in 1998 due to creative divergences. In recent years, he has opened the studio The Wayward Realms alongside Ted Peterson, where they worked at The Wayward Realms, a new open world RPG.
Ted Peterson’s message says:
Julian has been bravely fought against cancer. His doctors have informed us that his time with us is limited, and we are preparing to say goodbye to a true industry legend.
Even in the face of this challenge, Julian’s dedication to The Wayward Realms and all of you, our community, has never faltered. He has worked tirelessly to ensure that his vision for “the Great RPG” remains alive, but now Julian needs to get away from OnCELOST Games to take care of your health and spend your last moments surrounded by your loved ones.
Julian has full confidence in the team’s ability to bring the game he imagined to this amazing community. Anticipating this possibility, Julian well documented his vision and concepts, ensuring that the team has the necessary resources to complete the game. The full game, in addition to the early access version.
Obviously, the team has already had a chance to say goodbye and send their individual messages, and I stayed next to their bed in the hospital, reading these messages to him. At that moment, I read aloud and Julian dictated his answers, which was not easy with tears in his eyes.
For me, this is deeply personal, and I regret every second that I didn’t have one of the most charming, intelligent, funny and interesting people I’ve ever met. This also motivates me to act: I won’t let your legacy fall into oblivion.
That said, one last quote from the immensely quotable Julian Lefay. He said this in our last team meeting, and I believe it represents well who he is and what he believes:
“It’s personal. And if you’re not personal, then you’re just doing a work for order and you’ll never have motivation to achieve a significant goal.”
Source: https://www.gamevicio.com/noticias/2025/07/julian-lefay-pai-the-elder-scrolls-deixa-industria-cancer/