Akio Otsuka , the Japanese voice actor for Solid Snake and Big Boss in the various installations of Metal Gear Solid, has said in an update on Twitter that Kojima Productions is no longer a company.
Gamatsu has translated the tweet from Japanese to English.
“Kojima Productions was forced to disband, but it appears that the work that the team has been putting their utmost effort into is nearly complete,” Otsuka said. “I’m not exaggerating when I say that I expect it will become their greatest masterpiece. I couldn’t help it. I just wanted to say ‘Kept you waiting, huh?’ (Laughs.) But even if this is the end, Metal Gear Solid is immortal!”
Konami has not confirmed whether or not Kojima Productions has been officially closed.
Earlier this year, Konami removed references and branding related to Kojima Productions from any marketing material related to the studio’s upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, such as credits on the official website and the game’s official box art. This caused many to wonder if something was amiss between the Kojima Productions and its parent company Konami. GameSpot reported that Metal Gear Solid creator and director Hideo Kojima and members of his team were to leave the company following the game’s release once their contracts were up in December. Kojima released a statement stating that the team was fully committed to finishing The Phantom Pain and that he is “determined to make it the greatest game I’ve directed to date.”
