Physint Moves to Xbox After Kojima Says PlayStation Tried to Cancel It

Hideo Kojima says PlayStation tried to cancel Physint earlier this year, but the action-espionage game has survived with Xbox taking over as its new publishing partner.

Kojima says the studio spent roughly three months searching for another partner before reaching an agreement with Xbox, which has now confirmed it will publish the game. PlayStation has separately confirmed that it decided to step away from its collaboration with the studio, although Sony has not explained why.

According to Kojima, his studio unexpectedly received notice from PlayStation Studios in mid-June that it would cancel Physint, which was already in production.

Rather than abandon the game, Kojima Productions began searching for another partner. Kojima described Physint as an important project for both himself and the studio and said the team was determined to keep it alive.

PlayStation's own statement uses different wording. Sony said it made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with Kojima Productions on Physint and maintained that its relationship with Kojima remains strong.

Sony did not give a reason for ending its involvement.

Xbox has now confirmed that it will publish Physint, expanding an existing relationship with Kojima Productions that already includes OD. Kojima said the studio spoke with people across multiple fields while searching for a replacement before finding a partner in Xbox that shared its plans for the project.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said Microsoft was honored that Kojima had chosen Xbox for Physint, while Kojima Productions confirmed that development is moving forward.

The change is particularly notable because Physint was originally announced as a Sony Interactive Entertainment collaboration. The project was revealed during a PlayStation State of Play in January 2024, positioning Kojima's return to action espionage as a major PlayStation partnership.

The switch in publisher has not changed the basic direction Kojima Productions has outlined for Physint. The studio continues to describe it as an action-espionage project built around Kojima's return to the genre he worked in for decades with Metal Gear.

Xbox and Kojima Productions have not announced a release date for Physint. They also have not confirmed its final platforms, meaning the new publishing agreement should not yet be treated as confirmation that the game will be exclusive to Xbox hardware.