Bethesda Boss Pete Hines Announces Retirement

Longtime Bethesda Softworks boss Pete Hines has today announced his retirement from the publisher. For over two decades, Hines has been one of the most well-known figures at Bethesda and has often been the company's representative during various presentations and events. Now, in the wake of Starfield launching, Hines has decided to call it a career and is moving onto the next phase of his life. 

Shared to his personal social media account this morning, Hines revealed that he would be retiring after spending 24 years with Bethesda. Regarding his decision, Hines expressed that this wasn't an easy one to make but he felt like now was the right time to step away in the wake of Starfield coming about. He went on to also thank fans for their support and love over the years and said that his retirement doesn't mean he won't be part of the company's community any longer. 

"After 24 years, I have decided my time at Bethesda Softworks has come to an end," Hines said. "I am retiring and will begin an exciting new chapter of my life exploring interests and passions, donating my time where I can, and taking more time to enjoy life. This was not a decision I came to easily or quickly, but after an amazing career, culminating in the incredible launch of Starfield, it feels like the time is right."

"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 we have grown. Thank you to the hundreds and thousands of fans l've gotten to meet and talk to over the last 24 years. Your energy, creativity, and support has been such a big part of my journey. I look forward to experiencing the next part of the adventure alongside you. Working with the amazing people, teams, and studios at Bethesda has been the greatest experience of my life. I'm incredibly proud of everything we have done together, and I'm genuinely excited to see the amazing things they will create next."

In its own statement, Bethesda also thanks Hines for his work for well over two decades and his own leadership within the company. Bethesda defined Hines as an "integral" member of the publisher and said that his own leadership helped build Bethesda into the entity that it is today. 

"Pete's public presence was only a small part of his role at Bethesda, although the way he represented us carried over into the values he nurtured here: authenticity, integrity, and passion," Bethesda said. "His contributions have been integral in building Bethesda and its family of studios into the world-class organization that it is today. His vision helped push us forward, and his hard work inspired us. We're thankful for his 24 years of leadership and wish him the best in this next chapter."

Over the course of his career, Hines helped launch numerous games that have included The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 3, Dishonored, Wolfenstein: The New Order, DOOM, Starfield, and many, many more. Currently, Bethesda itself hasn't said who will end up succeeding Hines, but whoever takes on the role will clearly have some big shoes to fill.