Kojima Reveals Sony Cancelled Physint in Zoom Call With No Reason

Hideo Kojima has revealed that Sony Interactive Entertainment abruptly cancelled funding for his upcoming game, Physint, during a Zoom call in mid-June 2026, a decision that sent his independent studio into a crisis. The veteran game developer and Kojima Productions president Shinji Hirano described being shocked by the news, which came with no explanation from Sony. "I was just shocked and surprised. I didn't have any anger or sadness. I was just thinking, What should I do?" Kojima said through an interpreter. He expressed concern for his staff, noting the studio had taken out bank loans to expand for Physint's development. "We're an independent studio. That means if they can't fund us, our studio could collapse." Kojima stated that Sony did not provide a reason for withdrawing funding during the call or in any subsequent communication. He declined to name the Sony executive who delivered the news. "We couldn't understand it," Kojima said. "Jim Ryan had already retired, but I thought this was a project that Sony Interactive Entertainment and I had agreed to team up on and make together.