Hideo Kojima has taken to Twitter to dispel rumors that his studio, Kojima Productions, would be acquired by Sony. Rumors swirled yesterday about a possible acquisition when Sony added Death Stranding to its PlayStation Studios banner. The PlayStation Studios banner contains images from some of the most popular games developed by studios under the PlayStation umbrella. Sony exclusives from first-party studios like God of War, Horizon Forbidden West, and Ratchet & Clank are some of the big Sony exclusives to adorn the banner.
With the addition of Death Stranding to the PlayStation Studios banner, many in the gaming community believed that Sony could be purchasing Kojima Productions. Rumors went into overdrive earlier today when Kojima himself tweeted the banner without comment. The speculation was so great that Kojima felt the need to clarify that his studio would be remaining independent. In a reply to his tweet with the banner, Kojima apologized for the confusion.
I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, but KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS has been and will continue to be an independent studio.
Hideo Kojima
Although Kojima Productions will be remaining independent, Hideo Kojima has enjoyed a close relationship with Sony throughout his career. His Metal Gear Solid series was one of the PlayStation’s biggest console exclusives for over a decade. Since separating from Konami, Kojima Productions has only made one game, Death Stranding. The game isn’t a first-party Sony title however Kojima Productions and Sony partnered on the game together so while it isn’t a first-party game it is a nailed-down exclusive for PlayStation. Hence why it has now been added to the PlayStation Studios banner.
There’s no word on what’s next for Kojima Productions but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the studio continues to enjoy a close relationship with Sony while remaining an independent developer. Sony adding Death Stranding to the PlayStation Studios banner likely just demonstrates the strength of their partnership.