Hideo Kojima is once again at the center of controversy. This time, it comes after PlayStation and Sony reportedly turned their backs on PHYSINT, his upcoming espionage game. In an unexpected move, the companies confirmed that they will no longer finance the project, which was announced with great fanfare in early 2024.

To everyone’s surprise, Xbox decided to rescue PHYSINT from possible cancellation and will work with Kojima to bring the game to life. The news left PlayStation players and fans of the Japanese creator stunned, as many saw the project as one of the first confirmed games for the PS6.

The announcement sparked a major reaction on social media, where Kojima Productions fans criticized PlayStation and thanked Asha Sharma for saving the project on Xbox.

PHYSINT Hideo Kojima

Players lash out at PlayStation for turning its back on Hideo Kojima and PHYSINT

The relationship between Hideo Kojima and PlayStation dates back decades. Metal Gear Solid played an important role in boosting sales of Sony’s first console and demonstrated the narrative potential of video games in ways the industry had rarely seen before. Over the years, the creator and the company only strengthened their relationship, which remained intact through Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

Suddenly, PlayStation decided to step away from PHYSINT, a new and ambitious espionage franchise involving Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures. The project remains in development, now under the Xbox umbrella, but the community was quick to unleash harsh criticism against PlayStation, a company that has been surrounded by controversy since announcing the disappearance of physical games.

Some PlayStation fans were left baffled by Sony’s decision to distance itself from one of the industry’s most prestigious creators. Many players recalled how the company has seemingly thrown millions of dollars into live-service games, including projects such as Concord and Marathon. For that reason, they cannot understand why Sony would walk away from PHYSINT.

A portion of the community believes PlayStation has lost its way and has once again shot itself in the foot by rejecting a major production like PHYSINT, which had the potential to become one of the first major PS6 exclusives.

Some players even called for the dismissal of Hermen Hulst, who has been at the helm of PlayStation and has overseen the company’s studios. Others urged Sony executives to reconsider the decisions they have been making, arguing that things have continued to go from bad to worse from their perspective.

“PlayStation hired the guy who made Metal Gear to make them a spiritual successor to Metal Gear, then got rid of him when he started making a spiritual successor to Metal Gear. Masterful move,” one player wrote sarcastically.

Others defended Hideo Kojima and claimed that this would be the last PlayStation generation they support following what they described as a “betrayal.”

“After careful consideration, I’m done with PlayStation beyond this generation. They’ve ruined their brand to the point where I don’t recognize it anymore, and they don’t deserve a cent from me or an ounce of the goodwill they once had. Hideo Kojima is worth more than all of their IP and leadership combined,” another clearly frustrated player commented.

Players praise Xbox for supporting Hideo Kojima’s new project

While PlayStation’s social media accounts have been flooded with criticism, Xbox’s channels have been filled with praise and positive messages toward the brand. That’s because Asha Sharma decided to extend her collaboration with Hideo Kojima beyond OD, his upcoming horror game.

As a result, PHYSINT will now reportedly be distributed and financed by Xbox. Kojima fans thanked Asha Sharma for giving the project a chance and preventing it from being canceled following PlayStation’s decision.

Players shared memes and joked about the unexpected change of direction for PHYSINT. Many remain confident that the project will move forward despite this setback, although plenty also admitted that they have no plans to buy an Xbox to play it and will instead wait for the PC version.