Hideo Kojima revealed in an exclusive interview with IGN that Sony abruptly ended funding for his upcoming game Physint during a June Zoom call, leaving the prominent developer temporarily fearing his studio might collapse. According to the interview, Sony provided no reason for stepping away from the spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid, prompting a dramatic pivot that eventually landed Xbox as the project’s new publisher.
The June Zoom Call and Initial Shock
The split unfolded in June while Hideo Kojima was traveling between a Prada event in New York and meetings in Los Angeles, according to IGN. When he returned to Kojima Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) representatives informed him on a video call that they would no longer finance Physint. Kojima told IGN that he was initially in shock, stating he could not immediately process the decision because he believed the project was completely safe. At the time, Kojima Productions was juggling two active games: the Xbox-backed title OD and the PlayStation-exclusive Physint.
According to IGN, Kojima kept the cancellation news from most of his approximately 200 employees to prevent panic. He immediately worried about the studio’s financial survival, noting that Kojima Productions staffs up strictly according to active project contracts. With one contract vanished, Kojima feared he would have to lay off the entire Physint development team or face total studio insolvency. He also worried about bank loans the independent studio had secured after the release of Death Stranding, loans that depended entirely on continuous project development, as reported by The Washington Post.
Xbox Steps In to Rescue Physint
Following the unexpected split, Kojima worked quickly to secure a new publishing partner. Xbox offered the technical, marketing, and playtest support necessary to keep Physint alive, viewing the concept as a wider intellectual property capable of spanning films, television, anime, music, and merchandise.
In September, Xbox officially announced its partnership to publish Physint, and Kojima Productions subsequently confirmed that actor Bill Skarsgård will serve as the game’s lead.
Comparing Sony and Xbox Involvement
While Sony dropped funding without offering a detailed explanation during the initial June call, Bloomberg previously reported that the decision stemmed from missed development deadlines, budget concerns, and alleged commercial shortcomings surrounding Death Stranding. In response to those reports, Kojima Productions issued a statement to IGN insisting that the studio remains in a healthy, profitable state, that development on Physint with Xbox is moving forward, and that its relationship with PlayStation outside of this specific project remains strong.
Questions regarding the game’s final platform availability remain open. Kojima told IGN that he does not know whether Physint will ultimately release on PlayStation, clarifying that the final platform strategy rests entirely with Xbox and will be announced at a later date.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Physint canceled?
- Why did Sony stop funding the game? According to Hideo Kojima’s interview with IGN, Sony gave no reason during the June call. Earlier reports from Bloomberg cited budget, schedule, and commercial concerns, though those points were not confirmed directly by Sony or Kojima.
- Will Physint still come to PlayStation? Kojima stated that the final platform decision is up to Xbox and will be announced later, leaving the possibility open despite the game’s initial PlayStation-backed origins.
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