The news was broken by the Bethesda Twitter account, which posted a short message thanking Hines for his hard work, integrity, and passion. The post goes on to say that the team are “thankful for his 24 years of leadership and wish him the best of luck in this next chapter,” before closing with simply “We’ll miss you, Pete!”
Shortly after the tweet from Bethesda, Hines posted his own message on Twitter (We’re still not calling it X, you can’t make us) where he wrote “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, donating my time where I can, and taking more time to enjoy life.”
He went on to say, “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.” Given the hugely positive reception that Starfield has received from critics and gamers alike, it’s a fitting send off for the industry veteran.
He added that “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 I’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.”
Bethesda replied to Hines’ post with an amusing “sick note” for Pete, excusing him from work so that he can enjoy “lots of gaming, devoting care and affection to foster pups, card collecting in all forms, having fun with friends in the community and of course… more games”
Pete joined Bethesda back in 1999 as senior vice president of global marketing and communications — a role he stayed in until late last year when he was promoted to head of publishing. Under his watch, we saw the release of many of the most popular games of the last few generations, including The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 3, Doom (2016), and of course, Starfield.
So long Pete, and thanks for all the games. Now get out there and use your newfound free time wisely and unlock all the Starfield achievements. You should have enough time to grind out Starfield’s rarest achievement.
