PlayStation Nearly Killed Hideo Kojima’s Physint Game But Xbox Saved It

After Hideo Kojima's infamous split from Konami following the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, fans of the legendary Metal Gear series were left waiting for Kojima's next big stealth project. While Death Stranding and Death Stranding 2 have maintained traces of the stealth action genre, the real Metal Gear spiritual successor has always been Physint, a game originally announced as a PlayStation exclusive. Alternatively, the Xbox was supposed to receive experimental horror game and Jordan Peele collaboration OD.

But in a shocking turn, Kojima, PlayStation, and Xbox have all confirmed through their official social media channels that Physint is joining OD as an Xbox console exclusive. For PC gamers, this is great news, since PlayStation-to-PC ports were halted earlier this year. For fans of the Xbox consoles, two exclusive Kojima-developed games is also a big win.

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. PHYSINT is an important project both to me personally and to KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS. Determined to keep… pic.twitter.com/rQqhxAnb7N

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) September 10, 2026

What many find strange about this announcement is that it means Sony is not only voluntarily handing off high-profile exclusives to Microsoft's Xbox, but was going to cancel Physint despite Kojima's pedigree and excellent track record. Critics of Sony are pointing out this move, alongside the physical media decision, as evidence that the PlayStation may lose its market-leading position in the next console cycle.

It's too early to make a solid judgement on the long-term ramifications of decisions like these, but I do find Sony's behavior baffling and concerning. What would compel Sony to cancel Physint when it seems poised to be a AAA hit? If the legendary Hideo Kojima can't earn stable partnership with a large publisher, how can anyone else expect one? These are important questions to ponder, especially ahead of any official trailer or gameplay reveal for Physint.