Pete Hines leaving Bethesda after 24 years after ‘incredible launch of Starfield’

Pete Hines has announced he is leaving Bethesda and retiring after 24 years with the developer.

Hines, who only stepped into his role as head of publishing in October 2022, announced his decision with a statement on Twitter, declaring he felt the time was right. In his post, Hines said he will now be “taking more time to enjoy life” after an “amazing career” that culminated in the “incredible launch of Starfield.”

Promising it was “certainly not goodbye,” Hines thanked the fans he has met throughout his career and expressed he was “incredibly proud” of the Bethesda team. He also expressed his excitement for what lies ahead for the developer.

Hines’ career at Bethesda has seen him work on several successful games, including the likes of Fallout: New Vegas, Skyrim, and, most recently, Starfield.

Starfield launched as Bethesda’s first new IP in more than two decades and achieved critical success, with 2 million players reported to have played during the early access period and the game smashing Skyrim‘s record of concurrent players on Steam.

Starfield was the first Microsoft exclusive from Bethesda, following the takeover of ZeniMax Media in March 2021, with it expected the likes of The Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 will also be exclusive titles when they eventually launch.

While Hines is stepping away from Bethesda, the developers remain extremely busy with the continuation of both franchises, while Starfield will receive its first piece of DLC next year.

Following the announcement of Hines’ retirement, Bethesda’s Twitter account followed up with a “prescription” issued to him, with “treatment” including “lots of gaming,” “card collecting in all forms,” and “having fun with friends in the community.”