The video game industry has a relatively small roster of developers and executives who are well-known across both the industry and the community. It is the end of an era as the head of publishing at Bethesda, Pete Hines, has announced that he has retired. The news comes weeks after the company’s latest massive RPG, Starfield.
Pete Hines Announced He Has Retired From Head of Publishing at Bethesda Following Starfield Success
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the executive explained his exit. For him, it was to embrace “exploring interests and passions” and to have “more time to enjoy life.” That came into his focus after the release of Starfield, which he cited that was what made it feel “like the time is right.”
Fans saw him come on stage at major presentations, like E3 or Summer Game Fest. For any future major updates or announcements will still feature Todd Howard to present for Starfield or Elder Scrolls, but now that the head of publishing has retired, someone will have to fill Pete Hines’ shoes of having that stage presence that captivated audiences.
24 years was a colossal career as one of the biggest studios in the game industry. 23 of those years was as senior vice president of global marketing and communications. Last October, he was promoted to head of global publishing. During his tenure, he helped promote games like the rebooted series of Doom and Wolfenstein, both Dishonored games, the Elder Scrolls franchise, the Fallout franchise, and the latest release, Starfield.
Pete Hines had memorable final years before he retired. The pandemic era saw the acquisition of Zenimax from Xbox, which encompassed id Software, Bethesda, and other studios under the umbrella. Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76 had releases that started rocky and, through updates, have substantial player bases. While Starfield was a hit, Redfall was a disappointment due to its lacking world and a lack of certain features on release.
