Xbox swoops in to publish Hideo Kojima's 'Physint' after Sony dropped out

Xbox Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover Hideo Kojima's upcoming action-espionage game will be published by Xbox instead of PlayStation. In a flurry of announcements from Kojima, Xbox and PlayStation, it was revealed that the PS5 maker dropped Kojima's next game, Physint, back in June. Xbox then swooped in and agreed to publish the title, and possibly future Kojima games as well. "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," the Metal Gear Solid creator wrote on X. The shock announcement started when PlayStation tweeted that it was dropping Physint. "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with Kojima Productions on its project Physint," Sony's gaming division said in a post on X. It added that it looked forward to continued "close collaboration" with Kojima's studio in the future.  Just a minute later, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma posted that Xbox was taking on the Physint project. "Physint and OD!" she said, referring to another Kojima and Xbox collaboration. "Proud to build both with @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN in Japan. A big moment for Xbox." 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 Kojima then weighed in with an X post confirming the details and that he was surprised by Sony's decision. "In mid-June of this year, we unexpectedly received notice from PlayStation Studios that they would cancel the Physint project," his post stated. "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" before landing on Xbox. Furthermore, in an Xbox Wire post, Xbox wrote: "In addition to OD and Physint, this relationship will also extend beyond games, with Xbox and Kojima Productions collaborating across film and television to bring new stories to broader audiences." The drama makes one wonder exactly what is going on with the development of Physint that made Sony drop it, knowing it could create bad press and hard feelings with Kojima. The game was first announced in early 2024 with considerable fanfare. Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst personally unveiled Physint with Kojima, and the end of the video pulled back to reveal Columbia Pictures, with the implication being the game could lead to movies or other IP. Now, all of that appears to have been blown up.