Bethesda head of publishing Peter Hines is retiring, ending a 24-year career at the company, culminating in the release of Starfield.
Peter Hines, who’s served as the head of publishing at Bethesda since 1999, has announced his retirement via Twitter (or X, if you really must).
In a brief letter, Hines says that he’s ready to “begin an exciting new chapter of my life exploring interests and passions.” He also notes that he’s bowing out on a high, given that Starfield, arguably one of the most anticipated games of 2023, only launched last month.
“This was not a decision I came to easily or quickly,” Hines adds, “but after an amazing career, culminating in the incredible launch of Starfield, it feels like the time is right.”
There doesn’t immediately appear to be any kind of connection between Hines’ retirement and the huge number of job losses we’ve seen in the broader games industry of late. Indeed, the departure seems to be an amicable one on both sides – Hines writes glowingly about Bethesda being “the greatest experience of my life.”
For its part, the publisher tweeted its own letter, written in a distinctly light tone. “To Whom It May Concern,” the letter – also published on Twitter/X/Xitter – reads. “Please excuse Peter Hines from work. After devoting so much of his time, love and care to Bethesda, we are prescribing him ongoing treatment in the form of the following…”
The letter then lists a bunch of hobbies, from fostering puppies to collecting Magic The Gathering cards.
In an industry where it’s unusual for staff to remain in one post for long – at least in western studios – Hines’ stint at Bethesda was an unusually long one. Originally writing the manual and providing PR and marketing for the company’s early 2000s output, like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Hines climbed the corporate pole to the position of vice president of PR and marketing, then to senior vice president in the late 2010s.
In that time, Bethesda has published some hugely acclaimed games, including Skyrim, Dishonored and its sequel, and Prey.
“This is not goodbye by any means,” Hines writes. “My love of Bethesda and its people has never wavered, and I will never stop being part of this incredible community we have grown.”
