Latest news with #TheElderScrolls2:Daggerfall


Metro
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
The Elder Scrolls creator Julian LeFay dies following battle with cancer
One of the original creators behind The Elder Scrolls has died of cancer, as his studio and Bethesda pays tribute. Although Bethesda's Todd Howard is always closely associated with The Elder Scrolls, and has directed the last several entries, he wasn't one of the original creators, with that credit instead going to Vijay Lakshman, Ted Peterson, and Julian LeFay. The latter worked as a programmer and chief engineer at Bethesda until 1998, before he founded independent studio OnceLost Games in 2019, with Lakshman and Peterson. The studio is currently developing an open world role-playing game entitled The Wayward Realms, described as a spiritual successor to The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall. Last week, OnceLost Games said LeFay, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, had stepped away from the industry to be 'surrounded by his loved ones' as his condition worsened. Five days later, the studio has announced LeFay has died, aged 59. 'It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we inform our community of the passing of Julian LeFay, our beloved technical director and co-founder of OnceLost Games,' the post on X reads. 'Julian LeFay was not just a colleague – he was a visionary who fundamentally shaped the games industry as we know it today. Known as the 'Father of The Elder Scrolls', Julian directed the creation of legendary titles including Elder Scrolls 1 & 2: Arena, Daggerfall, and Battlespire. His pioneering work established the foundation for open world RPGs and influenced countless developers and games that followed.' — OnceLost Games (@OnceLostGames) July 23, 2025 Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. They added: '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.' OnceLost Games described LeFay's death as an 'immeasurable loss' for the team, but said they were 'more committed than ever' to finish work on The Wayward Realms 'exactly as Julian envisioned it'. More Trending 'Our development continues with the same passion, technical excellence, and attention to detail that Julian demanded,' they added. '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 announced in 2019 and is the studio's first project. A Kickstarter campaign to fund an early access build hit its goal in May last year. Bethesda is currently developing the next entry in The Elder Scrolls series, which is expected to launch at some point after 2026. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Assassin's Creed Shadows on Switch 2 all but confirmed for next Nintendo Direct MORE: Battlefield 6 release date and open beta details leak ahead of reveal trailer MORE: The 20 best Commodore Amiga games to celebrate the 40th anniversary


Metro
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Creator of The Elder Scrolls quits games industry due to cancer
The 'father' of The Elder Scrolls has been forced to abandon his work on a new game, due to his failing health. While Bethesda's Todd Howard is very much the current face of The Elder Scrolls, he didn't begin working on the series until the second game. As such, the people that deserve the credit for creating the series are Vijay Lakshman, Ted Peterson, and Julian LeFay. All three have long since left Bethesda and, in 2019, founded their own studio called OnceLost Games to make The Wayward Realms, another fantasy action role-player that's billed as a spiritual successor to The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall. A recent update on the game brings no good news though, as the studio has announced that, after a long battle with cancer, LeFay has had to step down due to his worsening condition. The news was relayed in a brief YouTube video by The Wayward Realms executive producer Victor Villarreal, who also shared a message from Peterson in the video description. According to Peterson, LeFay's doctors have said his time is limited and thus 'must step away from OnceLost Games for his health and to live his final moments surrounded by his loved ones.' This means he won't be around to see The Wayward Realms launch, but Peterson added, 'Julian has complete faith in the ability of the team to bring the game he has envisioned to life for this incredible community. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. 'Anticipating this possibility, Julian has documented his vision and concepts well, ensuring the team is left with the resources needed to complete the game. The full game, beyond the Early Access build.' LeFay is Danish and joined Bethesda in 1987, just one year after the studio's founding. He was brought on to the first The Elder Scrolls game -The Elder Scrolls: Arena – as a programmer and went on to direct the sequel. More Trending While he was by no means the sole contributor to the series' creation, he is credited with coming up with the name for The Elder Scrolls and is often referred to as the 'father' of the series. LeFay left Bethesda in 1998 – although he did work a little on The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind – and after brief stints at Sega and Blockbuster, reunited with Peterson and Lakshman to open their own studio. Although their first project, The Wayward Realms, was announced in 2019, a Kickstarter campaign to raise $500,000 to fund an early access build only went live in May 2024. It successfully met its target in just 12 days, although the plan is to take the early access build to publishers to seek further funding for a full release. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: The Elder Scrolls 6 is still on the way – here's what we know so far MORE: Fallout 5 may not be made by Bethesda as Elder Scrolls 6 enters 'playable state' MORE: The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered review – remaster of the year