Recently, former head of marketing at Bethesda, Pete Hines, gave an interview and shared his memories of working.
During the conversation, he explained why he decided to leave Bethesda — he was not happy with what was happening to the company, and he could no longer change anything:
I stayed at [Bethesda] because I thought, "This place still needs me." However, at some point I realized — yes, although I am needed, I am completely powerless to do what I think is necessary to make this company work properly, to protect these people, to preserve what we have created with such difficulty — an incredibly effective game developer and publisher. And when I was no longer able to do my job the way I thought it should be done, so that the company remained one of the most effective in the industry, and when I saw it being harmed, destroyed, exploited [...] I said to myself, "I'm not going to sit here and watch all this happen before my eyes."
Pete Hines did not specify who was responsible for the "destruction" of Bethesda. However, several years before his resignation, the parent company ZeniMax Media was acquired by Microsoft.
Hines also noted that the postponement of Starfield influenced his plans, and praised Todd Howard for his support:
I was waiting for Starfield to come out. I knew about my departure a year in advance. However, every time Todd postponed Starfield, I thought, "***, I'm stuck here for another eight months." Only he knew then [about my departure....] He supported me at the moment when I was on the verge, helped me get through it all and leave with dignity, while maintaining my sanity.
