Hideo Kojima has officially shifted his upcoming tactical espionage project to Microsoft Xbox following a sudden split with Sony PlayStation. The tactical action title, known as PHYSINT, was originally slated to be a PlayStation exclusive before both parties abruptly terminated their partnership. Xbox has immediately stepped in to finance and publish the game alongside its ongoing horror project OD.
An update from PlayStation Studios: After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on its project PHYSINT. We continue to have great admiration for Hideo Kojima's vision for the game.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 10, 2026
Our relationship…
The split brings an unexpected end to the original distribution plan for PHYSINT. Sony released an official statement confirming the end of the collaboration while attempting to downplay any wider rift with the Japanese studio.
Microsoft wasted no time capitalizing on the situation. Xbox pinned an announcement confirming the expanded partnership directly to its official social feeds. Kojima Productions followed up with its own statement, explicitly linking the project to new leadership at Microsoft Gaming.
Early concept art for PHYSINT points to a gritty, moody aesthetic. Promotional posters show a male protagonist wearing a trench coat and carrying a submachine gun against a backdrop of shadowy skyscrapers, accompanied by the tagline Here Comes the Feeling. Kojima revealed that the main character draws direct design inspiration from Solid Snake.
Do not expect to play this game anytime soon. Kojima is currently handling the concept work and character writing entirely on his own while his primary development team works to finish OD. The full production cycle will require 5 to 6 years of work, which places the expected launch date past 2030.
Despite the early state of production, Kojima has already signed 3 high profile actors. The cast features Charlee Fraser from Furiosa, Korean action star Don Lee from Train to Busan and Eternals, and Japanese actress Minami Hamabe from Godzilla Minus One.
Kojima has high expectations for the graphical fidelity of the project. He stated that the custom in game engine technology planned for PHYSINT will completely surpass the Decima engine used on Death Stranding 2 On the Beach. The goal is to blur the line between interactive gaming and live action cinematic film once the hardware arrives in the next console cycle.
