Julian LeFay, former chief engineer at Bethesda and co-founder of OnceLost Games, is stepping back from game development due to his ongoing battle with cancer, the company announced yesterday.
In a video from OnceLost Games, producer Victor Villareal announced the news. “Our technical producer Julian LeFay, who I’m sure needs no introduction, has been fighting a battle with cancer for the last several years,” said Villareal. “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.”
LeFay is often referred to as the “father of the Elder Scrolls” series, as he joined Bethesda Softworks after its founding in 1987 and led the company as Chief Engineer through games like The Elders Scrolls: Arena, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, and Battlespire. Julianos, the God of Wisdom and Logic, and one of the Nine Divines in The Elder Scrolls, is named after LeFay.
Dabbling in various projects over the years, LeFay co-founded the studio OnceLost Games in 2019 with former Bethesda colleagues Ted Peterson and Vijay Lakshman, to work on a Daggerfall spiritual successor called The Wayward Realms.
Peterson penned a statement, released in the description of the announcement video from OnceLost games, tracing his history with LeFay.
“I could talk stories about our friendship and how we’ve worked together recently with our team on Wayward Realms as creative and technical directors, but I need to come to the point of this,” wrote Peterson. “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.”
Peterson invited fans to share thoughts, prayers, well-wishes, memories, or simply the impact LeFay’s life and work has had on them.
“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,” wrote Peterson. “It’s also a spur to action for me: I will not let down his legacy.
“That said, a final quote from the eminently quotable Julian LeFay,” he continued. “He said this at our last team meeting, and I believe it represents him and his beliefs well. ‘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.’”
Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.