Hideo Kojima cannot confirm whether PHYSINT will eventually launch on PlayStation, saying the decision now rests with Xbox following the project’s change of publishing partner.
PHYSINT was originally being developed in partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment before PlayStation pulled its funding. Kojima Productions subsequently partnered with Xbox, and development of the upcoming espionage game is continuing under the new arrangement.
Speaking in an interview with IGN, Kojima was asked directly whether PHYSINT could still appear on a PlayStation platform.
“I don’t know the answer to that – that would be a question for Xbox. But I don’t know for sure. In previous updates from Xbox, I thought that they have this kind of stance where they want to deliver to as many gamers as possible, no matter what the platform is. I think all of that will be announced at a later time. I’m not sure yet, and I can’t really say.”
For now, that leaves PHYSINT’s platforms beyond Xbox’s involvement unconfirmed.
PlayStation Dropped PHYSINT Over a Zoom Call
Kojima has also provided more detail about the moment Sony informed him it would no longer fund the project.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Kojima revealed that the decision was communicated during a Zoom call.
“I was just shocked and surprised. I didn’t have any anger or sadness. I was just thinking, ‘What should I do?’ It’s a big problem for us, and I couldn’t tell staff at the time.”
Kojima Productions has since pushed back against reports speculating about why Sony ended its involvement, stressing that claims surrounding its relationship with PlayStation, Death Stranding’s commercial performance and PHYSINT’s production planning did not come from official or on-the-record sources.
The studio also confirmed that it remains healthy and profitable, that PHYSINT continues to move forward with Xbox and that its relationship with PlayStation remains strong.
PHYSINT’s Game Engine Hasn’t Been Decided Yet
The switch to Xbox could also affect the technology behind PHYSINT.
Kojima told IGN that he has not yet decided which engine the game will use, leaving it unclear whether the project will continue with Decima, the technology used for the Death Stranding games.
Xbox is instead offering Kojima Productions access to its technological resources.
“After we decided to team up with Xbox, they said they will give us a lot of technological support.”
Kojima said he wants to explore the new technology available through the partnership before making a final engine decision.
Kojima Wants PHYSINT to Become More Than a Game
The Xbox partnership could extend beyond PHYSINT itself. Kojima explained that his vision is increasingly focused on creating intellectual properties capable of expanding across games, movies, music, merchandise and potentially technologies such as AR.
He compared the approach with Nintendo’s expansion of properties such as Mario and Zelda beyond traditional games.
“Because it’s not the era of just game consoles. You create an IP, and it can be a game or a movie or music, and everything comes together.”
Several important pieces of PHYSINT are already taking shape. Bill Skarsgård has been revealed as the game’s lead cast member, with Charlee Fraser also attached to the project.
However, its final engine and platform lineup remain undecided or unannounced. Most importantly for PlayStation players, Kojima isn’t ruling out a future PlayStation release — but he also isn’t confirming one, with that decision now ultimately belonging to Xbox.
