Hideo Kojima’s Physint has jumped from PlayStation to Xbox, after Kojima says Sony tried to cancel it

Hideo Kojima’s upcoming stealth game Physint, which was set to be published by PlayStation Studios, will now be handled by Xbox.

Kojima Productions and Sony Interactive Entertainment first announced Physint, which is described as a “brand-new, original IP” and a “next-generation action espionage game”, back in 2024.

In a statement posted on X, Kojima said that Sony had told him it was cancelling the game three months ago, and he has since been trying to find a new partner to work with in order to keep it alive.

“As confirmed earlier through our official channels, in mid-June of this year, we unexpectedly received notice from PlayStation Studios that they would cancel the Physint project,” he said.

“Physint is an important project both to me personally and to Kojima Productions. Determined to keep the project alive, we have spent the last three months searching tirelessly for a new partner.

“In the course of seeking advice and pursuing negotiations with people across many fields, we found in Xbox a partner with whom we share a common vision for the future, and we have decided to team up with them once again.

“Please rest assured that development of Physint, our genre-defining action-espionage title, is ongoing and will continue moving forward.”

PlayStation also posted its own version of events on X, confirming that it had made the “difficult decision” to move away from the project but not explaining why.

“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,” it said.

“We continue to have great admiration for Hideo Kojima‘s vision for the game. Our relationship remains strong after three decades of industry-leading, genre-defining creative cooperation, and we look forward to continued close collaboration with Hideo Kojima and his award-winning independent studio in the future.”

Physint’s jump from Sony to Microsoft is “a big moment” for Xbox, Sharma says

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma described the deal as “a big moment for Xbox”, and added in an official statement: “Creators have choices about where and how they bring their ideas to life. We’re honored that Kojima-san has chosen Xbox to work with Kojima Productions on Physint. His ambition to challenge conventions reflects the kind of creativity we want to support at Xbox.”

Kojima hasn’t shared many details on Physint since it was announced in 2024, but he did joke in an interview with Ananweb last year that, compared to his upcoming Xbox horror game OD, Physint was something he could almost develop on autopilot because he was far more used to the genre.

“As for Physint, because it’s an espionage game, I could practically make it in my sleep,” he laughed (via machine translation). “For example – you have a soldier who infiltrates, gets stopped by the enemy, gets attacked, and sneaks around to take them out one by one. No matter how that plays out, it’s fun and easy to make.

“But that’s also what we’re trying to fight against. This new game introduces new gimmicks, and we’re also taking on the challenge of crossing the line between film and games. I’m thinking of working not just with film actors but with film staff on the production side too, though I wonder how that will all turn out.

“Right now the times are changing so quickly that the social structures and themes I’m trying to depict in the game might end up appearing in the real world before the game is finished.”

At the time of Physint’s announcement, PlayStation’s studio boss Hermen Hulst, appeared in a brief video message, in which he reiterated his excitement for the game.

“We’re not going to be sharing too many details today, but I can confirm that this game is fueled by the same creative energy, the same ambition that has made the PlayStation and Kojima partnership so powerful over the past 30 years,” he said at the time.