Pete Hines Retires from Bethesda
Just over a month after the launch of ‘Starfield’, Bethesda’s head of publishing, Pete Hines, has retired. This comes after 24 years of working for the company- which means he’s been around to see the launch of some of the biggest RPGs of all time. Being with the company through the release of Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4 and now, Starfield, Pete Hines is a legend of the industry and Bethesda is likely very sad to see him leave.
The news was revealed by Hines himself on X, where he said the following:
“After 24 years, I have decided my time at Bethesda Softworks has come to an end. I am retiring and will begin an exciting new chapter of my life exploring interests and passions… and taking more time to enjoy life… This is certainly not goodbye by any means. My love of Bethesda and its people has never wavered, and I will never stop being part of this incredible community… I’m genuinely excited to see what amazing things they will create next”
Image by Bethesda
Hines’ retirement comes after the release of Starfield- which was widely praised by critics at launch. Although the sentiment on the game has cooled since, its still mostly loved by fans. You may be wondering why Pete Hines has decided to retire now then? Well, considering that most Bethesda games take between 4-6 years to release, it makes sense to end on a strong note after the release of a game rather than mid-way through another. Although this will see Hines miss out on being the head of publishing for The Elder Scrolls VI, after so many successful titles, he’s certainly earned a break.
Image by Bethesda
Although Pete Hines has retired, Bethesda Softworks continues to work towards its next games. From a Starfield DLC expected to release next year to the Elder Scrolls VI and even Fallout 5 (likely coming in the 2030s), there is a lot of work ahead of the company. That’s not to mention the list of leaked games from the Oblivion Remake to Dishonored 3, which are probably in the works right now. Considering the growth and expanded ambitions of Bethesda Softworks under Microsoft, whoever is replacing Hines has some big boots to fill.
