PlayStation Adds Hideo Kojima Game to PlayStation Studios Banner

One of Hideo Kojima's games has been added to a banner of first-party PlayStation titles from PlayStation Studios. Hideo Kojima has worked closely with PlayStation since departing from Konami after the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain in 2015. After a very public break-up, PlayStation backed his first independent game, which was later revealed as Death Stranding. Although it was also on PC, it has been locked to PlayStation platforms on consoles and it's likely that's where the franchise will remain. With that said, Hideo Kojima is currently independent and generally allowed to operate as he pleases. A rumor from 2021 suggested that Hideo Kojima is working with Xbox on a new cloud-based horror game, but it has not been officially confirmed in any capacity.

Sony has updated the PlayStation Studios banner to remove Concrete Genie from a line-up of games and replace it with Death Stranding (via ResetEra user Toumari). Fans took particular note of this as Death Stranding is the only game in the line-up that's not made by a Sony-owned studio. Sony officially owns Death Stranding as an IP, so it's likely that this is the reason it was included, but some fans are holding out hope that it means that Sony has acquired Hideo Kojima's studio. There were recent rumors of a really big PlayStation acquisition on the horizon, but nothing has materialized. It's unclear if Kojima would even be open to no longer being independent, but he has been making interesting moves lately. Hideo Kojima and his Kojima Productions team are moving offices, which has led many to believe the developer is expanding a bit.

Hideo Kojima is working on two games at the moment, one of which is believed to be Death Stranding 2. The developer has yet to give any details on his next project, but did confirm he would appear at The Game Awards 2022, likely with the first trailer for his new game in hand. We'll likely have to wait until then for any other substantial information.

Do you think PlayStation Studios' inclusion of Death Stranding means anything? Let us know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.