Kojima is Partnering With Sony On a New Franchise

Hideo Kojima doesn’t waste any time. His contract with Konami ended yesterday and he’s already founded a new studio and scored a publishing deal with Sony.

Konami was at their worst earlier this year when they stripped all mentions of Kojima Productions from the promotional materials for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The team that had spent countless hours over several years working on one of the greatest games of 2015 were then turned into contractors, and by July, the studio had closed its doors.

And just as the prophecy foretold, from the still-warm ashes of Konami’s spectacular temper tantrum, a new Kojima Productions has arisen.

“PlayStation’s history is one of game innovation and great new franchises,” said Andrew House, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, in a press release. “Hideo Kojima has been a huge part of that history, and we are therefore delighted that he has chosen to bring his brand new project to life in partnership with PlayStation.”

“I will be taking on a new challenge by establishing my own independent studio, and I am thrilled to be able to embark on this journey with PlayStation, who I have continued to work with all these past years,” added Hideo Kojima. “I cannot wait to deliver, with PlayStation, a game that will become a compelling franchise.”

The studio’s first project is already coming together. Through a publishing deal with Sony, Kojima’s next game will come to the PlayStation 4 first, followed by a PC release after an unspecified exclusivity window. Since Konami owns the rights to both the Metal Gear and Silent Hill franchises, this will be “something completely new.”

Many former Kojima Productions staffers are returning, including Yoji Shinkawa, lead artist for the Metal Gear and Zone of the Enders series.

Kojima Productions already has a new website and an appropriately strange new logo. I might’ve gone with something like a phoenix flying above the smoking husk of a building that would resemble the Konami HQ just enough to be recognizable, but not enough to incite a lawsuit.