Bethesda, which has just launched Starfield, has just surprised everyone with a major announcement that could mark a turning point in the studio’s history and influence its future.
Next to Todd Howard, director of Starfield, Pete Hines is the other pillar of Bethesda. As Senior Vice President and Head of Publishing, Hines is a well-known face and voice in the gaming community, often on the front lines during major announcements for titles such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and many other emblematic franchises from the publisher/developer.
Bethesda makes a big announcement
Beyond his presence at events such as E3 or other video game shows, Hines has been a key player in Bethesda’s communications and marketing strategy. He greatly contributed to defining the company’s identity. The one we know today. However, those days are over. Indeed, the studio recently announced the departure of this important figure through an official tweet:
Pete Hines, Senior Vice President, Head of Publishing at Bethesda Softworks, has announced his decision to retire. Pete’s public presence was only a small part of his role at Bethesda, although the way he represented us reflected the values he cultivated here: authenticity, integrity and passion. His contributions have been essential in building Bethesda and its family of studios, making it the world-class organization it is today. His vision helped us move forward and his hard work inspired us. We are grateful for his 24 years of leadership and wish him the best in this new chapter. We will miss you, Pete!
For his part, Pete Hines also shared a few words on social networks, explaining that it was a complex, carefully considered decision. For the moment, he has not specified the reasons for this decision, other than his desire to explore new horizons. It remains to be seen whether he will join another video game studio in the future. But above all, it remains to assess the impact of this decision on the future of Bethesda games. The man was actively involved in the TES franchise and, with the development of The Elder Scrolls 6, this raises questions. Is the next big RPG in danger?
On Twitter, we can already see a shower of thanks for Hines, including very complimentary comments emphasizing that the man was a legend. Note that he had actively participated in the marketing of Starfield and had notably allowed the RPG to gain popularity over the months.
