Hideo Kojima has issued a response to PlayStation after Sony announced it had parted ways with his PHYSINT project. According to the Metal Gear Solid creator, Sony initially tried to cancel the game before he reached a new agreement with Xbox.
Hideo Kojima Says Sony Tried to Cancel PHYSINT
Sony shocked many players when, seemingly out of nowhere, it announced that it had “stepped away” from its collaboration with Hideo Kojima on his new game, PHYSINT. However, the Death Stranding creator then took to X to respond to the situation. According to Kojima, PlayStation Studios had actually tried to cancel the upcoming espionage game.
Videos by VICE
“In mid-June of this year, we unexpectedly received notice from PlayStation Studios that they would cancel the PHYSINT project. PHYSINTis an important project both to me personally and to KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS. Determined to keep the project alive, we have spent the last three months searching tirelessly for a new partner.”
Kojima then revealed that he was able to keep PHYSINT alive by signing a deal with Xbox to develop the game instead. “In the course of seeking advice and pursuing negotiations with people across many fields, we found in XBOX a partner with whom we share a common vision for the future, and we have decided to team up with them once again.”
Sony Players Call PlayStation’s Decision a Major Misstep
Following Hideo Kojima’s statement, many PlayStation users took to social media to vent their frustrations. Given the massive success of Death Stranding and Kojima’s prestige within the industry, many fans called Sony’s decision to let Xbox secure Kojima’s next two games a major blunder.
“So they wanted to cancel a Kojima game, a developer with an extensive track record of hits but they had no problem funding Concord and all the other live service slop they pedal???” one user on X replied. Another Sony fan wrote, “Time to buy an Xbox. Sony lost the greatest mind in the videogame industry.”
It remains unclear whether PHYSINT will still be released on PC. However, given Microsoft’s recent moves to secure major exclusivity for Xbox, it now seems extremely unlikely that Kojima’s espionage title will be released on PlayStation 5 or other Sony platforms.
Considering Xbox already has exclusivity for Kojima’s horror project OD, securing PHYSINT would give Microsoft two major games from one of the industry’s most celebrated creators. Either way, Sony’s decision to walk away from the project certainly appears to be a major blow to the PlayStation brand.
