Former Bethesda exec thinks the studio should get more respect for the complex, open worlds it creates: 'Go try that s**t in Red Dead Redemption 2'

Pete Hines retired from Bethesda in 2023 after nearly a quarter-century at the company, where he did everything from writing game manuals and stuffing boxes to hosting E3 conferences and guiding the company's global marketing and PR strategies. Three years down the road, though, he's still one of the studio's most staunch defenders.

In a new interview with Firezide Chat, Hines said he used to be frustrated by the way Bethesda seemed to be held to a different standard that other, less ambitious studios: Bethesda's games often faced criticism for being janky or buggy, but they're also tremendously complex, at a scale few others are willing to attempt.

"Who else out in the world allows you to just stack up one quest after another on the fly while you’re going wherever you want and doing whatever you want?" Hines said. "Go try that shit in Red Dead Redemption 2."