Pete Hines, head of publishing at Bethesda Softworks, has announced his retirement. He has been with the company since 1999, supervising the PR and marketing of games like TES III: Morrowind, Fallout 3, TES V: Skyrim, and Dishonored.
Pete Hines (Image credit: Xbox On)
On October 16, Hines revealed that he will be leaving Bethesda Softworks after 24 years. “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 said in a statement.
He added that the launch of Starfield was the right time to retire, also thanking players and everyone who has contributed to the Bethesda community during his time with the company.
“Working with the amazing people, teams, and studios at Bethesda has been the greatest experience of my life,” Hines wrote. “I’m incredibly proud of everything we have done together, and I’m geniuinely excited to see the amazing things they will create next.”
— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) October 16, 2023
Bethesda also commented on Hines’ retirement, saying that his public presence was only a small part of his role at the company. “His contributions have been integral in building Bethesda and its family of studios the world-class organization that it is today,” a statement reads. “His vision helped push us forward, and his hard work inspired us.”
Pete Hines is one of the most recognized PR & marketing specialists in the games industry. He has a journalistic background, having worked at video game website The Adrenaline Vault for three years. In October 1999, he joined Bethesda, where he initially wrote press releases and oversaw the global promotion of games published by the company, including PBA Tour Bowling 2001 and Magic & Mayhem: The Art of Magic, as well as Russian titles like Sea Dogs and Echelon.
During his time at Bethesda Softworks, Hines worked as director of PR & marketing, vice president of PR & marketing, and senior VP of global marketing and communications. Since October 2022, he has served as the company’s head of publishing.
Hines helped launch every major Bethesda release in the past two decades, including Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3, New Vegas, Dishonored, The Evil Within, Fallout 4, Doom (2016), Wolfenstein: The New Order/The New Blood, Deathloop, and Redfall. The last game he contributed to was Starfield.
With a track record like this, Hines has become a public face of Bethesda, presenting its games to players, giving interviews, and working with the community.