Kojima Productions leaves PlayStation: Physint becomes an Xbox exclusive

It's a major shake-up in the industry: PlayStation Studios is ending its partnership with Kojima Productions on Physint, Hideo Kojima's next espionage game. The title is changing publishers and becoming an Xbox exclusive, according to Bloomberg and several outlets.

What happened

Sony reportedly decided to pull the plug on Physint back in mid-June 2026, without publicly disclosing a reason at the time. According to Bloomberg, the decision came down to concerns over budget, potential profitability, and exclusivity — with a key factor being the commercial performance of Kojima's previous two games, Death Stranding and its sequel, which reportedly fell short of PlayStation's expectations.

Microsoft then announced it would take over publishing the game, making it an Xbox console exclusive. The deal reportedly extends beyond video games into film and TV, as Kojima already has a Death Stranding film adaptation in development at A24.

What is Physint?

Announced on January 31, 2024 during a State of Play, alongside Kojima and Hermen Hulst (then president of PlayStation Studios), Physint (short for "physical intelligence") is an action-espionage game pitched as Kojima's return to the genre that made his name with Metal Gear. At the time of the announcement, the studio said it was still 5-6 years from release — very early in its development cycle, which makes this publisher change all the more significant.

Why it matters

Since leaving Konami in 2015, Kojima found a new home at PlayStation Studios, which backed Death Stranding (2019) and then Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (2025) as high-budget third-party exclusives on PS5. Death Stranding 2 reportedly crossed 2 million copies sold after its PC launch — a solid number, but apparently not enough given the scale of Sony's investment in such an expensive franchise to produce.

This split marks the end of a decade of exclusive collaboration between Kojima Productions and PlayStation, and another signal of Sony's shifting strategy toward big-budget third-party bets without a guaranteed return.

Kojima games you can platinum right now on Pathline

While waiting on Physint — still a distant release, and now an Xbox game — two Kojima-linked titles already have a full guide on Pathline:

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — the sequel developed by Kojima Productions for PS5 and PC. A long platinum, expect 70 to 100 hours.
• Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater — Konami's remake of Kojima's original, available on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S (already multiplatform). A shorter platinum, 20 to 25 hours.

The original Death Stranding doesn't have a guide on Pathline yet — it could join the catalog if demand picks up.