Hideo Kojima says he is not in a dispute with Sony over Physint, but he believes the company should have warned him earlier before ending its support for the project.
Sony reportedly informed Kojima Productions in June that it would no longer fund Physint, a new action game positioned as a spiritual successor to Metal Gear. The decision came through an unexpected Zoom call and left Kojima uncertain about what would happen next to the project and his studio.
Physint has since moved to Xbox, while development plans continue under the new partnership.
Kojima says Sony’s decision came as a shock
Kojima said the meeting was scheduled without warning and that he initially struggled to process what Sony was telling him.
He believed Physint was secure despite the difficult conditions affecting the wider games industry, where projects have been canceled and studios have closed.
That assumption changed during the June call.
| Detail | Current situation |
|---|---|
| Project | Physint |
| Original partner | Sony |
| Sony funding ended | June 2026 |
| Current partner | Xbox |
| Studio size | Around 200 employees |
| Lead actor | Bill Skarsgård |
| Engine | Not finalized |
| Previous Kojima engine | Decima |
| Possible alternative | Unreal Engine |
Kojima said he does not remember every detail of the meeting because of how unexpected the decision was.
His immediate concern was what would happen to the roughly 200 people working at Kojima Productions.
Xbox stepped in after Sony withdrew
After Sony ended its involvement, Kojima contacted Xbox, which was already working with his studio on the experimental horror project OD.
According to Kojima, Xbox responded positively to the Physint proposal and supported the idea of developing it as something larger than a single game.
The project could eventually expand into other forms of entertainment, including television or film, although no detailed plans have been announced.
Bill Skarsgård has already been confirmed as the lead character.
The move allows Physint to continue despite Sony's withdrawal.
Kojima wanted more notice after three decades of cooperation
Kojima emphasized that he is not angry with Sony and does not consider the two sides to be fighting.
His main criticism concerns how the decision was communicated.
Kojima has worked closely with Sony for around 30 years across multiple projects and generations of hardware.
Because of that history, he said he would have preferred to hear about Sony's concerns earlier rather than receiving what he described as a final decision during the June call.
Sony has reportedly not contacted him since that meeting.
That long relationship included connections with previous PlayStation leaders and executives who supported several of Kojima's projects.
Physint itself had originally received approval under earlier leadership.
Leadership changes may have affected the relationship
Kojima's comments also suggest that his relationship with Sony has changed as the company's leadership has evolved.
He previously worked closely with figures such as Ken Kutaragi, Kazuo Hirai and Jim Ryan.
Those executives are no longer leading PlayStation.
Kojima did not directly blame current management for Physint's cancellation, but his remarks indicate that the personal relationships surrounding the partnership are different today.
By comparison, he said he quickly established a working relationship with Xbox's current leadership following the departure of Phil Spencer.
Physint may need a different engine
Another open question concerns the technology behind the game.
Kojima Productions used Guerrilla's Decima Engine for both Death Stranding titles.
That engine came through the studio's close relationship with Sony.
With Physint now moving under Xbox, there is no final decision on whether Decima can still be used.
Unreal Engine is one possible alternative.
Changing engines could have a major effect on production because the development team would need to adjust tools, pipelines and technical systems around the new platform.
For now, Kojima says that decision has not been finalized.
Physint continues despite the split
The important point is that the project remains alive.
Sony's decision created uncertainty for Kojima Productions, but the move to Xbox gives Physint a new path forward.
Kojima's criticism is therefore focused less on the cancellation itself and more on how it was communicated.
After decades of working with Sony, he expected more advance notice before such a major decision.
Physint now enters a different phase under Xbox, with its engine, wider franchise plans and development structure still being worked out.
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