Julian LeFay, a game developer affectionately known as “The Father Of Elder Scrolls”, has died aged 59.
The news was confirmed by Bethesda Studios boss Todd Howard. “It’s with great sadness we learn of the passing of Julian LeFay. He was the driving force in the creation of The Elder Scrolls and the foundations of Bethesda as a game studio,” they wrote on social media.
“Simply put, without Julian, we would not be here today. 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.”
It’s with great sadness we learn of the passing of Julian LeFay.
He was the 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. If you had the opportunity to work with… pic.twitter.com/55bJAaL7qz
— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) July 23, 2025
Lefay began his career working on early NES and Amiga games before joining an early version of Bethesda in 1987. He went on to become Chief Engineer and helped create the first two Elder Scrolls games alongside the Battlespire spin-off. He left the company in 1998 and worked briefly at Sega before co-founding independent game studio OnceLost Games alongside former Bethesda developers Ted Peterson and Vijay Lakshman.
Earlier this month, OnceLost Games announced LeFay would be stepping back from working on The WayWard Realms after a lengthy battle with cancer. “He’s fought bravely and strongly, but 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,” explained OnceLost Games’ Victor Villareal.
This man created what is in my opinion the greatest fantasy setting to ever exist… and now he becomes one with legends he created.
RIP to the father of The Elder Scrolls 😢 https://t.co/o14xGHluIu
— 🔥 TrelarysVT🔥Dunmer Vtuber 🩶 (@TrelarysVtuber) July 23, 2025
We’re very sorry to learn of the passing of Julian LeFay, lead developer for the earliest Elder Scrolls titles. Your energy and determination shaped The Elder Scrolls, and you’ll be missed. pic.twitter.com/eobRhqqH3D
— Skywind (@TESRSkywind) July 23, 2025
The father of The Elder Scrolls, Julian Lefay, has passed away.
Without his vision, we may never have explored the vast open worlds of Daggerfall.
Thank you, Julian, for pioneering TES and inspiring generations of RPGs. Your legacy lives on in every corner of the multiverse https://t.co/cLj0yT51qM
— ESO_Danny (@eso_danny) July 23, 2025
“Julian LeFay was not just a colleague — he was a visionary who fundamentally shaped the gaming industry as we know it today,” said a statement from OnceLost Games. “His pioneering work established the foundation for open-world RPGs and influenced countless developers and games that followed.”
“Your impact on the entire gaming industry will forever be immortalized in the heart of every gamer who had the joy and pleasure of interacting with the games you helped create. Thanks for making my childhood so unique,” wrote one fan. “Thank you for everything,” said another.
OnceLost Games have vowed to continue work on The WayWard Realms to honour LeFay’s legacy. “Our development continues with the same passion, technical excellence and attention to detail that Julian demanded.”
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