Hideo Kojima doesn’t know if Physint will be released on PS5, and he hasn’t decided if it’s going to use Sony’s Decima game engine
In June 2026, Sony Interactive Entertainment abruptly cancelled its publishing deal for Physint, Hideo Kojima’s tactical espionage game and spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid. Kojima learned of the decision during a Zoom call, expressing shock rather than anger, but remained uncertain about how to proceed. Despite the surprise, Kojima expressed confidence in the project’s commercial potential, describing it as “the biggest selling title [he] could possibly create.”
After a three-month search for alternative funding, Kojima Productions secured a deal with Xbox (Microsoft), announced in September. However, significant questions surround the game’s future. Kojima stated he does not know whether Physint will be exclusive to Xbox, deferring that decision to Microsoft. The game’s engine also remains undecided—it may or may not use Sony’s Decima engine.
Reports citing unnamed sources suggested budget overruns and missed deadlines prompted Sony’s withdrawal, with speculation that Death Stranding sales underperformed expectations. Kojima Productions disputed these claims, urging skepticism of unsubstantiated reports and asserting the studio remains in a “healthy, profitable state.”
Microsoft’s current leadership, under new CEO Asha Sharma, signals a return to platform exclusives after prior years of broader multiplatform releases. Kojima noted Xbox aims to help games reach the largest possible audience. Microsoft views Physint not merely as a single title but as an intellectual property with potential for film and anime adaptations, suggesting broader multimedia investment beyond the game itself.
Sources
- Hideo Kojima doesn’t know if Physint will be released on PS5, and he hasn’t decided if it’s going to use Sony’s Decima game engine
- Kojima Productions’ survival story may sound strikingly familiar to struggling devs
- Hideo Kojima “couldn’t understand” why Physint “would be on the list of being cancelled” by Sony
- Hideo Kojima Doesn’t Know If Physint Will Be Xbox Exclusive
- Hideo Kojima Says Sony Dropping Physint Was A Serious Blow, But There’s No Bad Blood
- Physint Is Biggest-Selling Game Kojima Could Ever Make, He Says
- Kojima says his Sony split was amicable and they both still love us very much
- Physint’s Xbox Exclusivity Remains Up In The Air As Kojima Discusses New Partnership
- “I thought people would leave”: Hideo Kojima offers his account of Physint’s switch from PlayStation to Xbox, as his studio insist they’re in a “healthy, profitable state”
- ‘I was just shocked and surprised’: Hideo Kojima says Sony told him Physint was being cancelled over a Zoom call
- After Sony ditched ‘Physint’, legendary game developer Hideo Kojima addresses internet speculation around the split, hinting at the advanced tech Xbox is providing instead