Less than a week after we learned that original Elder Scrolls creator Julian LeFay had left the industry due to a terminal illness, developer OnceLost Games, the last studio he worked at, announced that he passed away yesterday evening.
LeFay, born in Denmark, was 59 years old at the time of his passing. He joined Bethesda at just 22, shortly after that company's foundation, and became known for spearheading the creation of the Elder Scrolls franchise. He is credited as a programmer on Arena, a director and designer on Daggerfall, and a designer on the spin-off Battlespire. He also contributed in a minor way to Morrowind as a contractor before leaving Bethesda in 1998.
In 2019, Julian LeFay co-founded OnceLost Games alongside fellow Elder Scrolls creators Ted Peterson and Vijay Lakshman to create The Wayward Realms. The game's first teaser trailer was shared in August 2021. The Wayward Realms was deliberately inspired by the second Elder Scrolls game, Daggerfall. LeFay hoped to bring back that game's feeling of a truly massive world in an even better fashion thanks to the advancements made in procedural generation. We talked about that with OnceLost Games in an interview published last year.
In their public message, the developers of The Wayward Realms said that LeFay kept working on the game until very recently, and they expressed the desire to fulfill his vision by releasing The Wayward Realms.
Throughout his courageous battle with cancer, Julian never wavered in his passion for The Wayward Realms. 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.
We understand that our community will likely have many questions about how Julian's passing will affect The Wayward Realms' development. We want to be transparent with you. This is an immeasurable loss for our team, our community, and our industry. However, Julian's vision for The Wayward Realms is deeply embedded in every aspect of our development process. His technical frameworks, design philosophies, and direction have been carefully documented and shared with our team. We are not just continuing his work- we are honoring it by ensuring that his vision becomes the reality he dreamed of.
We are more committed than ever to bringing The Wayward Realms to life exactly as Julian envisioned it. Our development continues with the same passion, technical excellence, and attention to detail that Julian demanded. Every feature, every system, and every player experience will aim to reflect his dedication to creating "The Grand RPG" that redefines what the genre can be. Ted Peterson, Eric Heberling, and our entire development team remain fully dedicated to this mission. We will continue to share development updates, maintain our transparency with the community, and ensure that The Wayward Realms becomes the groundbreaking experience Julian knew it could be.
The Wayward Realms was funded with over $800K on Kickstarter. You can wishlist the game on Steam.
Wccftech wishes to express the staff's heartfelt condolences to Julian's family and friends. Bethesda has also shared their own message of condolences, noting how essential LeFay was to the creation of Elder Scrolls.
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