Overview
- Hines, in an interview published Monday, said he watched Bethesda be "damaged and broken apart" and chose to retire in 2023.
- He said he could no longer do the job as he believed it should be done and linked that loss of control to a sharp decline in his mental health.
- He did not name Microsoft but pointed to changes after the 2021 acquisition and said Bethesda is now "part of something that is not authentic and is not genuine."
- He planned to leave after Starfield but knew a year earlier that he was done, and he said repeated delays kept him longer as director Todd Howard helped him cope.
- Bethesda remains within Xbox Game Studios and is developing The Elder Scrolls 6, with Starfield also now on PS5 and no public rebuttal to Hines' remarks reported.