Xbox would pay a “fraction” of the $400 million Kojima cited to Sony for Physint

A reported $400 million budget for Hideo Kojima’s Physint was already canceled over the weekend, and multiple media outlets are now claiming that Xbox isn’t paying that figure for Hideo Kojima’s stealth game.

The number comes from Christopher Dring of The Game Business, who said on his podcast Friday that Xbox was “signing Kojima for a project often called Physint with a budget of around $400 million.”

Later, however, Dring himself clarified on

Windows Central’s Jez Corden went further, saying Xbox was only paying a “fraction” of that, although no sources reported an actual figure.

Physint, Kojima Productions’ action-spy title and spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid, was originally announced as a PlayStation project. Sony reportedly spent months negotiating with the studio before pulling funding after the project went over budget and missed deadlines.

Metal Gear and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima has spoken out on a number of topics regarding Sony’s sudden decision to forgo publication of his tactical spy project, Physint. It was a decision made in June, and although Kojima managed to convince Xbox to pick up Metal Gear’s successor and continue funding and publishing it.

The deal includes film and television licensing rights for Physint, as well as improved terms for Kojima’s other project in development, the horror game OD.

Xbox is now offering exclusives again, including recently confirming that the Xbox games Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution will not be released on PlayStation. However, some games like Forza Horizon 6 and Fable remain in the works for PS5, so there is hope for Physint.

“I think all this will be announced later,” Kojima said when interviewed recently. “I’m not sure yet and I can’t really say.”

Yesterday we reported that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had welcomed Xbox’s ongoing “streamlining” under Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, just days after announcing 268 more layoffs and what appears to be the imminent closure of UK studio Ninja Theory, as well as organizational changes as Obsidian comes under Bethesda control, Playground and Turn 10 merge, Undead Labs becomes independent and Rare, World’s Edge and Halo come under control of Activision.