Microsoft is funding Hideo Kojima’s upcoming action-espionage game, Physint, for a fraction of the budget previously associated with the project under Sony. While earlier estimates and industry reports pointed to figures around a massive budget, reporters have clarified that Xbox is paying substantially less, with estimates suggesting an amount potentially under 200 million dollars. Christopher Dring from The Game Business first mentioned the high figure in his podcast, stating at the time that Xbox was signing a contract with Kojima for a project often referred to as Physint with a large budget, while adding that he had heard various estimates ranging upwards. Dring later corrected his statement, noting that Xbox would likely pay considerably less than what Kojima originally requested from Sony. Jason Schreier from Bloomberg described Microsoft’s negotiated sum as significantly lower, while Jez Corden from Windows Central went even further, calling it a mere fraction, although neither reporter provided a specific figure. Dost možná dokonce pod 200 milionů dolarů. Není to jen o rušení týmů. The exact sum spent by Microsoft has not been disclosed, and the original high budget figure was never officially confirmed.
The project was originally announced in 2024 as a PlayStation title, but Sony stopped funding after the development exceeded budgets and missed schedules. Specific reasons for the end of the collaboration were not officially announced, leading Kojima to urge players on his accounts: Don’t believe everything you read anywhere.
Claims circulated that PlayStation was dissatisfied with the sales copy count of Death Stranding 2, followed by claims that Kojima Productions was failing to meet schedules, and reports that Sony had issues with the game arriving on competing platforms. Rumors also suggested that Kojima wanted more and more money from PlayStation during development, which management disliked. Following the split, Xbox stepped in to finance and publish the game, securing film and television licensing rights along with improved terms for Kojima’s separate horror project, OD.
Filming Begins Next Year as Actors Prepare Roles
While the story is ready, actual filming is slated to begin next year. Skarsgård has been pressing for lines to prepare for his role, but Kojima noted, I have the story ready. But he wants to know the lines and how his character speaks. He asks me to write them, but I tell him: Wait!
Actress Charlee Fraser will also hold a prominent role, having completed camera tests alongside Skarsgård to establish their on-screen chemistry. Their current clothing is not the final costume for the game; the team used it primarily as a reference for how fabric behaves, how clothing wrinkles, and how light falls on it. At Tokyo Game Show 2026, Kojima Productions already presented part of the acting cast, though the project is still several years away from release.
Physint Launches on PC and Xbox by 2030
The question of whether Physint will launch on platforms beyond PC and Xbox remains officially unresolved, with Physint set to launch no earlier than 2030 on PC and Xbox, leaving it to be seen how management will handle whether it eventually arrives on PlayStation. Kojima stated regarding platform availability: I think it will all be announced later. I’m not sure yet and I can’t talk too much about it,
adding that any further announcements will come at a later time.