Xbox to Publish Kojima's PHYSINT as Report Puts Cost Well Below US$400 Million
Xbox is paying "far, far less" than US$400 million to publish Hideo Kojima's PHYSINT, possibly even below US$200 million.
That figure comes from Chris Dring of The Game Business, in an article published on 1 October 2026. It is the latest account of the deal cost, and it undercuts a US$400 million number that had been circulating online. The Game Business
Dring said his earlier mention of US$400 million was based only on rumours around Tokyo Game Show, not a verified report. He described it as what he had heard floating around bars in Tokyo as the production budget for PHYSINT. Rumour stays rumour here. There is no confirmed budget.
The New York Times, in a profile published on 30 September 2026, also reported that the agreement was substantially below what Xbox would typically spend to develop a premium game, according to a report citing people close to the agreement. The newspaper did not give a dollar figure. The New York Times
The underlying deal is straightforward. Xbox will publish PHYSINT under an expanded partnership with Kojima Productions, announced on 9 September 2026. A publisher funds, markets and releases a game made by a studio. In this case Xbox takes that role for Kojima's team. Xbox
Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma said Kojima chose Xbox to work with Kojima Productions on PHYSINT. Kojima said the expanded partnership extends beyond OD, his other project with Xbox, to development of PHYSINT. The two companies will also collaborate across film and television in addition to OD and PHYSINT.
Kojima described PHYSINT as aimed at redefining the action-espionage genre for players around the world. Action-espionage means stealth and spying, with quiet infiltration alongside action. No release date has been announced.
The cast is starting to take shape. Bill Skarsgård was cast in the lead role in PHYSINT, as reported by Xbox on 17 September 2026. Xbox
What makes this stand out is the shape of the partnership. It covers two games plus screen work. For fans, this means PHYSINT is locked in as an Xbox-published project with a Hollywood lead, while the exact cost remains private.
