OnceLost Games

OnceLost Games is an independent video-game development studio established in 2019 by Ian Phoenix, Julian LeFay, Ted Peterson, and Vijay Lakshman. The studio was formed around a specific creative ambition: to produce a modern, large-scale role-playing game inspired by the design philosophy and systemic breadth of The Elder Scrolls: Arena and The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. LeFay and Peterson were among the developers associated with the creation of those early Elder Scrolls games, while Lakshman served as Arena's lead director. Phoenix, a YouTuber who had researched the history of The Elder Scrolls, helped reconnect the former developers and brought the project concept into being. The studio's principal and, in the supplied reference material, only announced game is The Wayward Realms. It is planned as a first-person open-world action role-playing game set across more than one hundred islands collectively known as the Archipelago. Rather than centering the experience on a single fixed storyline, the game is designed around factional politics, reputation, exploration, quests, character creation, and an environment that responds to player decisions. Planned systems include a procedurally generated world on a very large scale, spell crafting, climbing, seafaring, horseback travel, and a detailed faction and class framework. The project is intended to evoke the breadth and unpredictability of tabletop role-playing while applying contemporary presentation and production techniques. During its early development, OnceLost Games operated with a largely distributed and volunteer-supported team. The founders sought conventional publishing support but reportedly did not secure a publisher willing to fully finance the project on the basis of an early pitch. The studio therefore shifted toward producing a playable build that could demonstrate the game's potential to prospective publishing partners. The wider development group included writers, artists, programmers, composer Eric Heberling, and writer and quest designer Douglas Goodall. Heberling had previously worked on music for Arena and Daggerfall, while Goodall had contributed to The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. The studio experienced an early organizational setback when Phoenix announced his departure in September 2020. He cited frustration with development progress, communication among the founders, and personal expenditure on the project, while stating that he continued to wish the team well. Peterson acknowledged the substance of Phoenix's concerns and apologized for communication shortcomings, but said the team remained committed to the project's goals. OnceLost Games continued development and used social media and video channels to share concept art, interviews, screenshots, and pre-alpha footage. In May 2024, the studio turned to crowdfunding. Its Kickstarter campaign sought $500,000 to support a year of development for an early-access build and to improve its prospects of attracting a publisher. The campaign exceeded its target, collecting $701,900 over its 30-day duration. In July 2025, the studio announced that LeFay, who had been dealing with cancer, would step back because of deteriorating health. He died on July 22, 2025. The studio said he had documented his ideas and design concepts in anticipation of this possibility. In December 2025, OnceLost Games announced a major technology and schedule change: The Wayward Realms would move away from Unreal Engine and use a proprietary engine instead. The studio stated that the change required the planned early-access release to be delayed to June 2026. OnceLost Games therefore remains an active, project-focused independent studio whose identity is closely tied to the long-term development of The Wayward Realms and to the revival of large-scale, highly systemic role-playing design associated with the earliest Elder Scrolls games.

OnceLost Games emerged from a series of conversations among people associated with the early history of The Elder Scrolls and observers of that series. In 2017, YouTuber Ian Phoenix investigated the career of Julian LeFay while preparing material about The Elder Scrolls. Phoenix arranged an interview with LeFay, followed by a Reddit question-and-answer session, and later connected with Ted Peterson after Peterson commented on the work. Phoenix and the two former Bethesda developers shared an interest in creating a successor to the unusually broad, simulation-oriented role-playing experience of Daggerfall. Video-game agent Stefan Metaxa subsequently proposed bringing LeFay and Peterson together to develop a new game. Phoenix, LeFay, Peterson, and Vijay Lakshman, who had been Arena's lead director, formally established OnceLost Games in 2019. The studio began work on The Wayward Realms and announced the involvement of Eric Heberling, composer for Arena and Daggerfall. Douglas Goodall, previously a writer and quest designer on Morrowind, joined later in 2019. The studio's initial development model relied on a broad distributed team that included more than forty volunteer writers, artists, and programmers. A reported publisher offer of $8 million was rejected by Lakshman, who believed the project required at least $12 million to compete at the intended level with major role-playing releases. Unable to obtain complete traditional financing from a pitch alone, the team concentrated on creating a playable demonstration build that could be presented to publishers. The project encountered internal difficulties during this phase. On September 1, 2020, Phoenix announced that he was leaving, describing dissatisfaction with progress, founder communication, and the personal costs he had incurred. Peterson apologized for communication failures while maintaining that the team remained committed. Development continued after Phoenix's departure, with the studio periodically publishing concept material, interviews, screenshots, and pre-alpha footage. On May 30, 2024, OnceLost Games began a Kickstarter campaign intended to fund one year of development on an early-access version. The campaign had a $500,000 objective and finished with $701,900 after thirty days. In July 2025, LeFay announced through the studio that he would step away because of cancer-related health problems. The team said his ideas and plans had been documented so work could continue. LeFay died on July 22, 2025. The next major development change came on December 1, 2025, when the studio announced a move from Unreal Engine to proprietary technology. OnceLost Games linked the engine change to a revised early-access schedule, moving the anticipated release to June 2026. The studio's history remains closely connected to The Wayward Realms, a project that seeks to combine the scale, procedural breadth, faction systems, and player-directed storytelling of classic computer role-playing games with a contemporary development model.

• 2025

  LeFay leaves active development

  [1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  LeFay stepped back because of worsening health and died later in July.

• 2025

  Proprietary engine announced

  [1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  The studio announced a move away from Unreal Engine and postponed the early-access build to June 2026.

• 2024

  Kickstarter campaign surpasses its target

  [1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  The crowdfunding campaign for an early-access development year raised $701,900 against a $500,000 goal.

• 2020

  Ian Phoenix departs

  [1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  Phoenix left the project after raising concerns about progress, communication, and personal project expenses.

• 2019

  OnceLost Games is founded

  [1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  Phoenix, LeFay, Peterson, and Lakshman formally founded the independent studio and began developing The Wayward Realms.

• 2018

  Ted Peterson joins the discussions

  [1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  Phoenix interviewed Ted Peterson after Peterson commented on his Elder Scrolls retrospective, helping establish the creative foundation for a new project.

• 2017

  Phoenix reconnects with Julian LeFay

  [1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  Ian Phoenix located Julian LeFay while researching The Elder Scrolls and conducted a lengthy interview that helped renew public interest in LeFay's work.

An independent developer focused on expansive, systems-driven role-playing games, with a creative identity built around the legacy of early Elder Scrolls design and the goal of delivering a highly reactive fantasy world.

• Open-world action role-playing game

  The Wayward Realms

  The Wayward Realms is an upcoming first-person action role-playing game set in the Archipelago, a region made up of more than one hundred islands. Its planned systems include a procedurally generated, life-sized world; faction reputation; player-created classes; spell crafting; climbing; boats; horses; quests; and reactive non-player characters and factions. The game is designed without a conventional single main quest, allowing player actions to shape political and narrative developments. It is presented as a spiritual successor to Arena and Daggerfall, and the studio announced in 2025 that it was moving from Unreal Engine to a proprietary engine.

• 2024The Wayward Realms Kickstarter

  International

  OnceLost Games used Kickstarter to seek $500,000 for one year of development on an early-access build, with the broader objective of strengthening the project for potential publisher discussions.

  Outcome. The 30-day campaign reached its goal and raised $701,900.

  Source

• 2025

  Move from Unreal Engine to proprietary technologyStrategy

  Background

  OnceLost Games announced that the project's technology direction was changing during development.

  Action taken

  The studio said it would fully move away from Unreal Engine and build its own proprietary engine for The Wayward Realms.

  Aftermath

  The early-access build was delayed to June 2026.

  Source

• 2024

  Crowdfunding replaces immediate reliance on publisher financingOther

  Background

  The studio needed funding for a full year of further development and hoped a playable early-access version would improve its publisher prospects.

  Action taken

  OnceLost Games launched a Kickstarter campaign for The Wayward Realms.

  Aftermath

  The campaign raised $701,900, exceeding its $500,000 target.

  Kickstarter funds raised. $500,000 target → $701,900 raised (30-day campaign launched May 30, 2024)

  Source

• 2019

  Shift toward a playable proof of conceptStrategy

  Background

  The team reportedly could not obtain a traditional publisher willing to fully fund the project from its initial pitch.

  Action taken

  OnceLost Games concentrated on developing a playable build that could be shown to publishers and potential partners.

  Aftermath

  The studio continued development with a distributed team and later pursued crowdfunding to support an early-access build.

  Source

• 2025

  Julian LeFay steps back from OnceLost Games[1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  OnceLost Games said that Julian LeFay, who had been battling cancer, would reduce his involvement because of worsening health. The studio stated that he had recorded his design concepts and vision for the team.

• 2025

  Julian LeFay dies[1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change · Other

  Julian LeFay died on July 22, 2025, after stepping back from the project because of illness.

• 2025

  The Wayward Realms moves away from Unreal Engine[1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  OnceLost Games announced that it would replace Unreal Engine with a proprietary engine. The studio said the technology transition would delay the early-access build until June 2026.

• 2024

  OnceLost Games launches Kickstarter for The Wayward Realms[1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  The studio launched a Kickstarter campaign seeking $500,000 to finance a year of work toward an early-access build. The campaign ultimately raised $701,900 during its 30-day run.

• 2020

  Ian Phoenix leaves The Wayward Realms project[1]The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change · Other

  Co-founder Ian Phoenix announced his departure, citing slow progress, communication problems among the founders, and money he had personally spent on the project. Ted Peterson responded by acknowledging the communication concerns and reaffirming the team's commitment.

1. 1The Wayward Realmsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2OnceLost Games official websiteoncelostgames.com