A surprising turn of events for one of the most exciting announced projects in recent years: Kojima Productions and Xbox are expanding their collaboration – with Xbox taking over the publisher role for PHYSINT, the spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid. The project was originally housed at Sony.
Why is Xbox Publishing Kojima's New Game Instead of Sony?
According to corroborating reports from IGN and PC Gamer, Sony had internally put PHYSINT on ice or completely canceled it back in June 2026. After about three months of searching for a partner, Xbox is now reportedly stepping in and taking over the publishing rights. Xbox Wire officially only confirms the “expanded partnership” without commenting on the exact reasons behind Sony's exit – this assessment comes from the reports by IGN and PC Gamer.
What is PHYSINT and what is the game about?
PHYSINT was first teased by Hideo Kojima in 2022 and has since been considered a spiritual successor to his Metal Gear Solid series, which he is no longer allowed to work on after his split with Konami. Concrete gameplay details remain scarce; what is known so far is primarily its ambition: a stealth-action game with cinematic presentation, entirely in the tradition of what Kojima became known for. Another new development is that, according to the official announcement, the partnership between Xbox and Kojima Productions is not limited to just the game, but will also include film and TV projects.
This isn't an entirely new endeavor for Kojima with Xbox: the studio is already collaborating with Xbox on “OD”, another mysterious Kojima Productions project. Nevertheless, this development is remarkable because Kojima was closely associated with PlayStation for many years – from Metal Gear Solid to Death Stranding, which originally launched as a PS4 exclusive before later coming to other platforms. A change in the publisher role for an entire major project is therefore a clear signal of how much Xbox is currently striving for collaborations with renowned studios and auteurs, while Sony has apparently exited PHYSINT. For anyone looking to dive back into the Kojima universe, we recommend our report on the first reviews of the Metal Gear Solid 4 Master Collection Vol. 2.
Source: Xbox Wire, IGN, PC Gamer
What do you think of this change – a good sign for Xbox or a missed opportunity for Sony? Discuss with us in the comments!
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