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‘I Love Sony’: Kojima Unsure if Physint Will Ever Come to PS6, Hasn’t Decided on Decima Engine
Sony has withdrawn funding from Hideo Kojima's game Physint after months of negotiations, with Xbox now set to publish the title instead. According to Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, the talks centred on missed deadlines and fundamental project issues rather than peripheral concerns. Kojima revealed he was informed of Sony's decision via a Zoom call in June but was never given an explicit reason for the pullout, though he maintains a strong relationship with the publisher and repeatedly stressed his affection for Sony during subsequent interviews.
Kojima was notified of the funding withdrawal during the Zoom call, which was delayed because he was attending a Prada event in New York at the time. Reports suggest the breakdown between Kojima Productions and PlayStation may have stemmed partly from multiformat plans for the project, though Kojima declined to confirm whether Physint will eventually reach PS6, deferring such questions to Xbox. The developer also has not yet decided on a game engine and remains uncommitted on several key project details, suggesting the title is still in early development stages.
In short
- Sony cancelled Physint funding after months of negotiations; Xbox will publish instead
- Kojima was told via Zoom call in June but never received a reason from Sony
- Developer won't confirm PS6 release and hasn't chosen a game engine yet
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Sony could reasonably have withdrawn funding if missed deadlines or fundamental project issues made the game too risky or misaligned with its plans. A publisher must weigh its investment against delivery prospects, and Kojima’s comments suggest key choices remain unsettled at an early stage.
The case against
Kojima Productions could reasonably see the withdrawal as a setback after months of negotiations, particularly if the project’s multiformat ambitions contributed to the split. The lack of an explicit reason, as Kojima describes it, may also leave the studio without clear grounds to address Sony’s concerns, despite their continued relationship.
Explained simply
Hideo Kojima is a Japanese game creator known for the Metal Gear series and for founding his own studio, Kojima Productions. Physint is a new project described as a spy action game, a genre associated with stories about espionage, covert missions and secret agents.
Sony, which makes PlayStation consoles and publishes games, has worked with Kojima Productions on earlier projects. Xbox is Microsoft’s gaming brand, and a publisher helps fund and release a game. The choice of publisher can affect which consoles a game is made for, though that does not by itself settle where it will eventually be available.
Game engines are the software tools used to build a game’s graphics and systems; Decima is an engine developed by Sony’s Guerrilla Games. The publisher and engine can shape how a project is made and which platforms it can support, so uncertainty over these choices leaves key parts of Physint’s plans open.