Kojima Details Physint's Switch from PlayStation to Xbox

Hideo Kojima has given his account of the action espionage game Physint switching publishers from PlayStation to Xbox earlier this month. In an interview with IGN, Kojima claimed Sony informed him via a June Zoom call that they would no longer fund the game's development.

Kojima said he was shocked by the decision. He told IGN he thought Physint was safe from the cancellations affecting other studios. The developer stated that Sony did not reach out to clarify their reasoning after that initial call. Kojima insisted he is not fighting with Sony and that they are not in a dispute.

Studio Leadership's Initial Secrecy

Only Kojima, Kojima Productions president Shinji Hirano, and head of talent development Akiyoshi Saito were initially told about the cancellation. Kojima explained they needed to figure out a direction before informing staff. A few days after the Sony call, he told the leaders of the Physint team. Some staff were then moved from Physint to work on the Xbox-published horror game OD.

Kojima feared this shift might lead developers to leave the studio, but he asserted that no one did. He admitted that work on Physint did not stop, but clarified the team is now very small, handling key parts, while others moved to OD.

Kojima Productions Denies Bloomberg Report

Kojima Productions issued a statement responding to a prior Bloomberg report. That report had alleged that an exceeded budget, missed deadlines, and Death Stranding series sales not meeting Sony's hopes led to the cancellation. The studio called the claims "unsubstantiated speculation."

The statement encouraged people to take the allegations "with a dose of scepticism." It said the claims touched their fans and creative partners. The studio affirmed it is in a healthy, profitable state. Development for Physint continues with Xbox, and their relationship with PlayStation remains strong, according to the statement.

The Path Forward for Physint

The studio acknowledged the situation was serious with potentially significant implications. It has now reassured fans that development is moving forward with Xbox. The future of the spy action game appears secured under its new publishing partnership.