Pete Hines, Bethesda's number-one PR guy for nearly 25 years, is leaving the company

After nearly a quarter century of helping lead Bethesda Softworks, Pete Hines, the company's head of publishing and one of its most recognizable faces, has announced that he is leaving the company and retiring from the videogame industry.

"After 24 years, I have decided my time at Bethesda Softworks has come to an end," Hines wrote in a message shared on Twitter. "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. 

"This is not a decision I came to easily or quickly, but after an amazing career, culminating in the incredible launch of Starfield, it feels the time is right."

Hines joined Bethesda in 1999 as the marketing guy, a position that evolved over the years into senior vice president of global marketing and communications. Outwardly, though, the role didn't seem to change much: He was Bethesda's front man, a regular point of contact for journalists and a familiar face at conferences and press events.

According to Mobygames, he also squeezed in a bit of instruction manual writing for a handful of games including Sea Dogs, PBA Tour Bowling 2001, IHRA Drag Racing, and one you may have actually heard of, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind.

In October 2022, 23 years to the month after joining Bethesda, Hines took on a more business-focused role as the company's head of publishing, but while Todd Howard stepped into the spotlight in the lead-up to Starfield, Hines was in there too, regularly providing interviews and dispensing occasional bits of advice about the game. 

Bethesda acknowledged the value of that presence in its own farewell message but said it was "only a small part of his role" at the company.

"The way he represented us carried over into the values he nurtured here: authenticity, integrity, and passion," Bethesda said. "His contributions have been integral in building Bethesda and its family of studios into the world-class organization that it is today. His vision helped push us forward, and his hard work inspired us."

As is the way with farewell messages, Hines said that "this is certainly not goodbye by any means," and that he "will never stop being part of this incredible community."

"Thank you to the hundreds and thousands of fans I've gotten to meet and talk to over the last 24 years," Hines wrote. "Your energy, creativity, and support has been such a big part of my journey. I look forward to experiencing the next part of the adventure alongside you."