Over the past few decades, Bethesda Softworks, the studio behind Fallout, has navigated numerous transformations, and former marketing chief Pete Hines witnessed nearly every one of these shifts firsthand.
In a recent interview with DBLTAP, Hines reflected on Bethesda’s journey to becoming a video game powerhouse. He shared insights into the company’s early years, recounting how its biggest triumphs and toughest setbacks ultimately shaped its identity.
”When it was working, it was magical.“
Hines joined Bethesda in October 1999 and played a key role through major releases, from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind in 2002 to Skyrim in 2011 and Fallout 76 in 2018. He also remained a central figure during Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media, Bethesda’s parent company, which finalized in 2021, before announcing his retirement in 2023.
After 24 years, Hines concluded his tenure at Bethesda. Yet, he holds fondest memories of the quieter moments working alongside ZeniMax founder and CEO Robert Altman, who passed away in 2021.
“Without question, it was Robert Altman’s company, and we were his employees,” said Hines. “But he treated us more like family, and together we built a culture that truly felt like home. When everything clicked, it was magical. As a small private company, it was much easier to operate away from public scrutiny—we didn’t have to share earnings reports with the world.”
Now operating under Microsoft, Bethesda oversees a wide range of game studios. These include its internal team, Bethesda Game Studios, as well as id Software (developer of Doom), Arkane Studios (behind Deathloop), MachineGames (creator of Wolfenstein), and ZeniMax Online (responsible for The Elder Scrolls Online).
Players have long turned to Bethesda for genre-defining RPGs and sharp first-person shooters. But in 2024, the company’s portfolio narrowed. Just three years after Microsoft’s takeover, Xbox announced it would close Arkane Austin, developer of Redfall, and Tango Gameworks, the studio behind Hi-Fi Rush (Tango was later acquired by Krafton).
”There’s just no question that the company is not the same.“
Significant changes have continued both before and after Microsoft’s acquisition. For better or worse, Hines acknowledges that the company he joined in 1999 is no longer the same.
“There’s simply no denying that the company has changed dramatically,” he added. “It’s fundamentally different from what we built. That’s just how it is—things evolve and move forward. But at its peak, being part of Bethesda was truly special.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Hines also discussed his efforts to rename Arkane’s Prey, along with his views on gaming subscription services like Game Pass. He also recalled the Fallout 76 controversy, admitting it led to “probably the dumbest thing” he ever did at the company.
For more, learn about how Bethesda became Microsoft’s first fully unionized game studio, or explore why a Bethesda veteran believes games like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls will always feature loading screens.
