Xbox will publish PHYSINT, Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions’ upcoming action-espionage game, after Sony Interactive Entertainment ended its involvement with the project. Microsoft confirmed the new arrangement in an official Xbox Wire post on September 9, saying its existing partnership with Kojima Productions is expanding beyond OD to include PHYSINT. The announcement marks a significant change for a project that was originally revealed in collaboration with PlayStation.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said Microsoft was honored that Kojima had chosen Xbox as the new partner for PHYSINT, pointing to his reputation for challenging established conventions. Kojima described the agreement as an expansion of Kojima Productions’ existing relationship with Xbox and said development of PHYSINT is moving forward. Neither Microsoft nor Kojima Productions announced a release date, detailed platform lineup or new gameplay information alongside the publishing news.
The move follows Sony’s decision to end its collaboration with Kojima Productions on PHYSINT. PlayStation said it had made the “difficult decision” to step away from the project while maintaining that its relationship with Kojima remains strong. Kojima subsequently said Sony Interactive Entertainment informed the studio in mid-June 2026 that it intended to cancel the PHYSINT project, prompting Kojima Productions to spend roughly three months looking for another partner so development could continue.
That search ultimately led back to Xbox, which was already working with Kojima Productions on OD. Microsoft’s relationship with the studio dates back to 2022, when Xbox Game Studios announced a partnership with Kojima Productions for a cloud-powered project that was later formally revealed as OD. PHYSINT therefore gives Microsoft a second major Kojima Productions game under the partnership rather than replacing the companies’ existing work together.
PHYSINT itself was originally announced during PlayStation’s January 2024 State of Play as a new action-espionage project from Kojima Productions. Kojima has repeatedly positioned the game as a return to the genre closely associated with his work on Metal Gear, while still describing it as a new intellectual property rather than another entry in that series. Kojima Productions later revealed visual material for PHYSINT and confirmed Charlee Fraser, Ma Dong-Seok and Minami Hamabe as part of its cast, but substantial gameplay footage has yet to be shown publicly.
The publishing agreement also broadens the Xbox-Kojima Productions relationship beyond games. Microsoft says the two companies plan to collaborate across film and television as well, although no individual projects were announced. The expansion comes as Xbox continues to emphasize its relationships with Japanese developers and publishers, with its upcoming Tokyo Game Show 2026 broadcast scheduled for September 17.
For PHYSINT, the most immediate consequence is that a project Sony had planned to abandon is continuing under a new publishing partner. It also gives Xbox stewardship of a high-profile espionage title from the creator most closely associated with Metal Gear, while strengthening an already established relationship with Kojima Productions. Microsoft has not yet said when it expects to reveal more about PHYSINT, leaving its release timing, final platforms and broader production details for future announcements.
