Physint: Hideo Kojima's Next Game Won't Release Until 2030 at Earliest

Hideo Kojima is developing Physint, a spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid that represents his return to tactics and espionage after the Death Stranding series. The game was first revealed during a PlayStation State of Play showcase in January 2024, but it remains years away from release.

Kojima stated that the earliest release window for Physint could be as far away as 2030. In 2025, he said he had just started work on his horror game OD while Physint was still in a "conceptual" stage of development.

The project's path to Xbox came after an unexpected shift. Physint was originally being developed in partnership with PlayStation, but Sony later confirmed it would no longer work with Kojima Productions on the title. According to a Bloomberg report, people familiar with the project expressed concerns about Physint's development, citing missed deadlines and budget overruns. Industry speculation suggested that the Death Stranding games hadn't generated substantial returns relative to the investment.

Xbox stepped in to publish and help develop Physint. "We're honored that Kojima-san has chosen Xbox to work with Kojima Productions on Physint," Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said. "His ambition to challenge conventions reflects the kind of creativity we want to support at Xbox." Given the game's distance from release, it's expected to launch on PC and Xbox's next-generation console, Project Helix.

The cast includes Swedish actor Bill Skarsgard (It, Boy Kills World) in the lead role, alongside Charlee Fraser (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Don Lee (Train to Busan), and Minami Hamabe (Godzilla: Minus One). Kojima shared that costume fittings, scans, and camera tests with Skarsgard and Fraser "gave me tremendous confidence in the direction of the project."

Beyond a teaser poster showing the protagonist in shadows and the tagline "here comes the feeling," little is known about Physint's gameplay. Kojima has stated the game will "break the barrier" between movies and games, suggesting cinematic presentation. "If your mother walks in and sees you playing this game, she'll think you're watching a movie," he said in a HideoTube episode. Kojima developed Physint partly in response to fan requests for another Metal Gear game, inspired after recovering from a severe illness during the COVID pandemic.