Kojima says Sony delivered Physint cancellation on a Zoom call

Hideo Kojima learned that Sony planned to cancel his stealth-action project Physint on a Zoom call in mid-June.

Kojima said he felt shocked and surprised, with no anger or sadness. His immediate thought was what he should do next, according to an account published on 21 September 2026 by Video Games Chronicle.

Kojima Productions president Shinji Hirano was on the same call. Hirano said he went totally blank when the news came through. The two declined to confirm who at Sony delivered the message.

The stakes were high for the studio. Kojima described Kojima Productions as an independent studio — self-owned, not part of a platform owner — with nearly 200 staff. If Sony could not fund the game, he said, the studio could collapse.

Physint had been set to be published by PlayStation Studios, Sony's games publishing label. Production has since moved to Xbox. The project is a stealth game, a type built around sneaking and avoidance rather than direct combat.

Kojima said the idea began after he fell ill in 2020. After that illness, he and then Sony Interactive Entertainment chief executive Jim Ryan agreed to make another stealth game together.

Sony's reason for stepping back has been reported as concern over budget, according to earlier reporting by Bloomberg on 11 September 2026. Kojima himself has not named a reason in the accounts published so far.

What makes this stand out is how plain the telling has been. No blame. Just a short call, two stunned developers, and a large team suddenly without a backer.

For players, this means watching where the project lands next. Kojima Productions now directs visitors to its Physint announcement page, and the studio is marking its 10th anniversary with an exhibition titled "BEYOND THE STRAND: The Odyssey of Creation and Endeavor".