Hideo Kojima’s ‘Physint’ Moves From PlayStation to Xbox as ‘Death Stranding’ Creator Plots TV and Film Projects With New Publishing Partner
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Hideo Kojima has confirmed that Xbox will now publish his upcoming action-espionage game "Physint" after Sony's PlayStation unexpectedly cancelled the project in June, with the two also agreeing to expand their partnership into film and television. The move is significant given Kojima's three-decade history with PlayStation, including the "Death Stranding" franchise, and comes as Xbox seeks to deepen ties with major creators and strengthen its historically weaker presence in Japan and other Asian markets.
Kojima said his studio spent three months searching for a new partner following PlayStation's "unexpected" cancellation notice before choosing Xbox, stressing that development of "Physint" continues regardless. PlayStation called the decision "difficult" while insisting its relationship with Kojima remains strong. Xbox, already set to publish Kojima's Jordan Peele-collaboration horror title "OD", said discussions with Kojima had been ongoing for months under new CEO Asha Sharma, who replaced Phil Spencer, though no specific TV or film projects have yet been detailed.
- Kojima's "Physint" moves from PlayStation to Xbox after June cancellation
- Xbox and Kojima Productions to collaborate on film and TV too
- No TV/film project details revealed; "OD" with Jordan Peele still upcoming
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Kojima Productions, the Japanese studio led by veteran designer Hideo Kojima, has been developing an action-espionage game called "Physint" for release on Sony's PlayStation. Kojima is best known for creating the "Metal Gear Solid" series and, more recently, "Death Stranding," and he has worked closely with PlayStation for around thirty years, making him one of the platform's most prominent creative partners.
Earlier this year Sony unexpectedly told Kojima it was cancelling its involvement in "Physint," a decision that came as a surprise given the long-standing relationship between the two. Microsoft's Xbox, which competes with PlayStation in the games console market, has been trying to build stronger ties with well-known game creators and to grow its presence in Japan and Asia, an area where it has traditionally lagged behind rivals.
Xbox has now stepped in to publish "Physint" instead, and the two sides say they also plan to work together on television and film projects, though details of those have not yet been made public. The change matters because it signals a shift in how major game studios choose partners, and because it touches on the wider rivalry between Sony and Microsoft over exclusive content and creative relationships in the games industry.
Full account
Hideo Kojima's studio has switched publishers for its long-awaited action-espionage title 'Physint', moving the project from Sony's PlayStation to Microsoft's Xbox after PlayStation opted to pull out of the collaboration. The change was confirmed in an Xbox blog post, which also stated that the renewed partnership will stretch beyond games, with Kojima Productions and Xbox now planning to work together on film and television projects as well. Xbox already holds publishing rights to Kojima's next release, the horror title 'OD', made with filmmaker Jordan Peele, which still has no confirmed release date; 'Physint' is slated to follow it.
Writing on social media, Kojima said he had been informed by PlayStation Studios in mid-June that they intended to cancel 'Physint', a decision he described as unexpected. He said that in the months since, he and his studio had worked hard to find another backer willing to support the project, holding discussions with a range of potential partners before settling on Xbox, whom he characterised as sharing a similar creative outlook. He sought to reassure fans that work on the game, which he continues to bill as a genre-redefining entry in the action-espionage space, remains under way despite the change of publisher.
PlayStation issued its own statement acknowledging the split, framing it as a considered decision to withdraw from the 'Physint' collaboration specifically, rather than an end to its wider relationship with Kojima. The platform holder emphasised its continued respect for his creative vision and pointed to roughly three decades of joint work, including the 'Death Stranding' series, while expressing hope for future projects together. The amicable tone of both statements contrasts with the significance of the split, given how closely Kojima's recent output has been associated with PlayStation hardware.
Coverage placed the announcement within the context of wider upheaval at Xbox, where new chief executive Asha Sharma, who took over from Phil Spencer earlier this year, has been pursuing a broader overhaul of the business alongside job losses and studio changes, while also pushing for high-profile exclusives such as 'Gears of War: E-Day' and the planned 2027 title 'Clockwork Revolution'. Reports indicated that talks between Sharma and Kojima had been going on for months, including face-to-face meetings, ahead of the deal being finalised. The timing also comes soon after PlayStation's announcement that it will stop producing physical game discs for titles launching from 2028, a move that has generated separate debate within the industry.
Where outlets differ
The entertainment-trade report (Source 1) draws an explicit link between the 'Physint' move and PlayStation's separate July announcement that it will end physical disc production from 2028, framing the switch partly against that backdrop, and gives more detail on the Sharma–Kojima relationship timeline.
IGN (Source 3) emphasises the industry-reset angle at Xbox under Asha Sharma, citing layoffs, studios being spun off, and cancelled projects, and includes a direct quote from Sharma about creators having a choice of partner; it also speculates that 'Physint' may be connected to something referred to as 'Project Helix' and notes OD had reportedly been confirmed safe from Xbox's cuts back in July.
The PC Gamer material provided did not contain substantive reporting beyond the headline confirming that PlayStation had moved to cancel 'Physint' before Xbox stepped in, as the retrieved text consisted mainly of site navigation and membership-signup content rather than article body text.
All three accounts include Kojima's own statement about PlayStation's mid-June cancellation notice and his three-month search for a new partner, but only Source 1 also quotes PlayStation's reciprocal statement in full.
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