Why Sony Dropped Hideo Kojima’s Physint and Handed It to Xbox
- Hideo Kojima’s highly anticipated action-espionage game Physint will no longer be a PlayStation exclusive, according to joint announcements made by Xbox and Kojima Productions.
- According to a public statement shared on social media by Hideo Kojima, Kojima Productions received notice from PlayStation Studios in mid-June stating that the company was stepping away...
- After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on its project PHYSINT.
Hideo Kojima’s highly anticipated action-espionage game Physint will no longer be a PlayStation exclusive, according to joint announcements made by Xbox and Kojima Productions. The project, which was initially revealed in 2024 in partnership with Sony PlayStation, was unexpectedly cancelled by PlayStation Studios in mid-June of this year, forcing the developer to spend three months securing a new publishing partner.
PlayStation Cancels Physint in Mid-June
According to a public statement shared on social media by Hideo Kojima, Kojima Productions received notice from PlayStation Studios in mid-June stating that the company was stepping away from the project. PlayStation confirmed the split in an official statement, calling it a difficult decision while emphasizing that its relationship with Kojima remains strong after nearly three decades of collaboration.
After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on its project PHYSINT. We continue to have great admiration for Hideo Kojima’s vision for the game.
PlayStation Neither company provided specific reasons for the cancellation of the agreement. Physint had previously been projected for release between 2030 and 2031, with Kojima noting that the title aims to push the boundaries between cinema and gaming by incorporating professional filmmakers and cinematic elements.
Xbox Steps In to Save the Action-Espionage Project
Following the cancellation by Sony, Kojima spent three months searching for an alternative partner before reaching an agreement with Microsoft. The new partnership was a natural fit because Kojima Productions is already collaborating with Xbox on OD, an upcoming horror game published by Microsoft’s gaming division. Asha Sharma, CEO of Xbox, welcomed the agreement on social media and in official statements by highlighting the studio’s creative independence.
The creators can choose where and how to give life to their own ideas. We are honoured that Kojima-san has chosen Xbox to work together with Kojima Productions on Physint. His ambition in challenging conventions reflects the type of creativity that we want to support in Xbox.
Asha Sharma, Xbox Kojima confirmed that development on the action-espionage title is continuing without interruption under the new partnership. In addition to video games, the expanded agreement between Xbox and Kojima Productions will extend into film and television projects to bring new stories to broader audiences, as detailed in the official Microsoft announcements.