Hideo Kojima‘s Physint game is moving from PlayStation to Xbox. Sony Interactive Entertainment has canceled its publishing deal with Kojima Productions, and Kojima says PlayStation Studios told him in mid-June that it was ending the project. That notice set off a three-month search for a new partner.
Kojima Productions and Sony first revealed Physint in 2024. They described it then as a “brand-new, original IP” and a “next-generation action espionage game.” Kojima has shared few details since, though he has now confirmed development is continuing under the new arrangement with Xbox.
“As confirmed earlier through our official channels, in mid-June of this year, we unexpectedly received notice from PlayStation Studios that they would cancel the Physint project,” Kojima said. “Physint is an important project both to me personally and to Kojima Productions. Determined to keep the project alive, we have spent the last three months searching tirelessly for a new partner.”
PlayStation Studios confirmed the split in its own statement. It called the move a “difficult decision” but did not detail its reasoning.
“We continue to have great admiration for Hideo Kojima’s vision for the game,” it said. “Our relationship remains strong after three decades of industry-leading, genre-defining creative cooperation, and we look forward to continued close collaboration with Hideo Kojima and his award-winning independent studio in the future.”
Xbox calls the Physint game deal a big moment
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma described the move as “a big moment for Xbox.” “Creators have choices about where and how they bring their ideas to life,” she said. “We’re honored that Kojima-san has chosen Xbox to work with Kojima Productions on Physint. His ambition to challenge conventions reflects the kind of creativity we want to support at Xbox.”
Kojima is already building an Xbox exclusive with OD
Kojima is separately developing OD, a horror game already set for Xbox. He discussed both projects in an interview with Ananweb last year. He joked that the Physint game felt comparatively easy to design, since he is far more accustomed to the espionage genre than to horror.
“Because it’s an espionage game, I could practically make it in my sleep,” he said, according to a machine translation of the interview. “You have a soldier who infiltrates, gets stopped by the enemy, gets attacked, and sneaks around to take them out one by one. No matter how that plays out, it’s fun and easy to make.”
He added that the new game will introduce mechanics meant to push against those habits. That includes closer collaboration with film actors and film crew, alongside his usual production team.
“Right now the times are changing so quickly that the social structures and themes I’m trying to depict in the game might end up appearing in the real world before the game is finished,” he said.
When Physint was announced in 2024, then PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst said it was “fueled by the same creative energy” that had shaped three decades of collaboration between Kojima and PlayStation. That collaboration has now ended. Development continues at Kojima Productions, under its new arrangement with Xbox.