PlayStation no longer wants Kojima’s Physint, but Xbox does

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Sony says its relationship with Kojima ‘remains strong,’ and Xbox says ‘We’re just getting started.’

Sam Chandler September 9, 2026 8:00 PM 1

In a surprising turn of events, PlayStation Studios has decided to stop collaborating with Kojima Productions on Physint. At the exact same time, Xbox has come in and scooped up the project.

On September 9, 2026, PlayStation took to social media to alert its fans that it has “made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with Kojima Productions on its project Physint.” The company states it looks forward to close collaboration with Kojima and his studio in the future.

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. We continue to have great admiration for Hideo Kojima's vision for the game.

Our relationship…

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 10, 2026

Meanwhile, Xbox swooped in and has picked up Physint. The company points out that the collaboration started with OD and now it’s expanding. It closes out by stating, “We’re just getting started.”

Hideo Kojima has taken to social media to offer his side of the narrative:

Earlier, there was an official release from Kojipro, but suddenly, in mid-June this year, a notice arrived from SIE stating that they would "cancel the 'PHYSINT' project currently in production." For me personally, and for Kojipro as well, "PHYSINT" is an important project, and in order to continue it at all costs, we have been searching for a "new partner" over these past three months. While seeking advice from people in various fields and advancing negotiations, we have decided to team up again with XBOX as a partner with whom we can share a mutual "vision for the future." The next-generation "espionage action" game "PHYSINT" is continuing production, so please don't worry.

PlayStation has been suffering a lot of blows recently and this separation between it and Kojima’s next title is yet another. Sony Interactive Entertainment recently reached a $7.85 million settlement regarding discrepancies with digital game prices on its online storefront. The company is also sticking to its guns regarding ending physical disc production despite severe online backlash.

Xbox hasn’t been immune to criticism either. In July, Xbox issued mass layoffs amounting to what will be 3,200 people losing their job. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma also stated an aim to top Sony and Nintendo margins by 2030 – a rather lofty goal all things considered.

However, Xbox has been attempting to eke out a few wins. It launched a disc-to-digital program, which harkens to its 2013 goals that sees players able to acquire a digital version of their physical games. While things appear to still be up in the air, Sharma did state she wants players to have a choice between physical and digital games. Whether this means Project Helix will have a disc isn’t clear. We could wind up in a “we have a product for that,” Don Mattrick situation.

With Xbox deepening its relationship with Kojima Productions, and PlayStation distancing itself, we could be witnessing a generational team swapping event. Stay locked to Shacknews for the latest on Kojima Productions.

Shacknews staff does not use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in their content. Shacknews strictly prohibits the use of its content for AI training or to generate text, including text in the style or format used for this publication. Shacknews reserves all rights to this work.

Sam Chandler Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler 

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