
Julian LeFay, dubbed the father of The Elder Scrolls due to his prominent positions working on Arena and Daggerfall, passed away yesterday, July 22, 2025, aged 59, after a "courageous battle with cancer." The studio he co-founded, OnceLost Games, states his passing is "an immeasurable loss for our team, our community, and our industry."
LeFay was so influential at Bethesda, a company he joined shortly after its formation, that the Elder Scrolls deity Julianos is named after him. He later co-founded OnceLost Games with fellow former Bethesda developers Ted Peterson and Vijay Lakshman, announcing the fantasy RPG The Wayward Realms in 2021.