Gaming news: Hideo Kojima’s ‘Physint’ finds a new home after PlayStation exit

Hideo Kojima’s next action-espionage game, ‘Physint,’ almost disappeared before Xbox stepped in.

Kojima Productions has confirmed that “Physint” will now be published by Xbox after PlayStation Studios ended its collaboration on the project, giving the long-awaited game a new path forward.

The change came after Kojima Productions was unexpectedly informed in mid-June that PlayStation Studios would cancel its involvement. 

According to Kojima, the studio then spent the next three months searching for a new partner before reaching an agreement with Xbox.

A project Kojima refused to abandon

“Physint” is particularly significant for Kojima because it marks his return to the action-espionage genre he became known for through the “Metal Gear” series.

The game was first announced during a PlayStation State of Play presentation in January 2024 as a new intellectual property being developed in collaboration with Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Kojima described it at the time as a next-generation action-espionage game that would aim to blur the boundaries between games and film.

PlayStation later decided to step away from the project. 

The company did not provide a specific reason for ending the collaboration, while saying it continued to admire Kojima’s vision and that its relationship with the developer remained strong after three decades of creative cooperation.

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An existing Xbox connection

The move to Xbox is not entirely out of the blue.

Xbox was already working with Kojima Productions on “OD,” an upcoming horror game. The new “Physint” deal therefore expands an existing partnership between the two companies.

The collaboration will also extend beyond games, with Xbox and Kojima Productions planning to work together on film and television projects.

For “Physint,” however, the immediate focus remains on development.

The game represents Kojima’s return to action-espionage after his years working on the “Death Stranding” series and his departure from Konami in 2015.

There is still no announced release date or confirmed platform lineup for “Physint,” but the project now has a new publisher and a path forward.

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