Pete Hines, Bethesda’s head of publishing, announced today he’s retiring and leaving the game company. The executive, who’s been with Bethesda since 1999, said that he feels the launch of Starfield marks an endpoint of his career, and that he plans to take “more time to enjoy life.”
Hines was formerly Bethesda’s SVP of marketing and communication before becoming its publishing executive last year. He’s been a public voice of the company for years, being part of its public announcements. Hines added that he will remain a part of the Bethesda community, adding that he will experience “the next part of the adventure” (presumably meaning The Elder Scrolls VI) alongside them.
Bethesda itself released a public statement on social media, thanking Hines for his contribution over the years. It also published a phony doctor’s note, a reference to Hines’s own running joke of creating such notes to excuse fans from school or work on major Bethesda launch days. The note “prescribes” him work with foster dogs, collecting cards and playing more games.