Hideo Kojima says PlayStation Studios informed his studio around mid-June that it planned to cancel Physint. What followed was three months of looking for someone else to publish it. On September 9, 2026, Xbox announced it would.
The reversal stings because PlayStation itself unveiled the game. Sony showed Physint at a State of Play broadcast in January 2024, billing it as a new property made with Sony Interactive Entertainment. Kojima described it then as a “next-generation action espionage game” meant to blur the line between games and film. It marks his return to the genre since he left Konami in 2015.
What each side said
Sony confirmed the exit in a statement: “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with Kojima Productions on its project Physint.” The company added that three decades of creative co-operation left the bond with Kojima strong, and said it expects to work with him again.
Kojima framed it as a project worth saving. “Physint is an important project both to me personally and to Kojima Productions,” he said, adding that his studio found a partner in Xbox that shares its outlook on the future. Asha Sharma, who runs Xbox, said the company felt honoured to be picked, and described Kojima’s urge to challenge convention as the sort of creativity Xbox backs.
The money question
Why Sony walked away is unconfirmed. An earlier report held that the game was well over budget, had missed deadlines and was still a long way from release. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier said the cancellation came after months of talks between the two companies, and was not out of nowhere. A rumored budget of $400 million circulated, but reporting indicated Xbox signed the game for far less. Sharma told The New York Times that the outlay is far under Xbox’s usual spend on a premium game, and confirmed that the agreement covers film and TV rights.
What stays the same
Development continues. The announced cast includes Minami Hamabe, Ma Dong-seok and Charlee Fraser. Kojima Productions was already working with Microsoft on the horror game OD, and the new deal widens the relationship to film and television projects, though no specific productions were named. Kojima has said the studio will draw on technological support from Xbox’s teams. No platforms and no release date have been named for Physint, and Kojima has not said whether it will reach PS5.
Sources
- Hideo Kojima's Physint moves to Xbox after PlayStation cancels project (The National)
- Physint Deal is Substantially Below Developing a Premium Game, Says Xbox CEO (GamingBolt)
- Sony Dropped Hideo Kojima's Physint and Xbox Just Picked It Up (The Gadgeteer)
