I’ve been a fan of the legendary Hideo Kojima since his Konami days. I still remember my uncle lending me his copy of Metal Gear for the Nintendo Family Computer even though I didn’t understand the game at all.

It took me 2 days to figure out that Metal Gear is actually a stealth action game. I didn’t finish it because it had too much strategy for me to understand, but it left a lasting impression and made me crave similar games.

Metal Gear 2 came out, but I didn’t have an MSX2. I skipped Snatcher and Policenauts because I didn’t own a PC or a Sega CD back then, plus they were more like visual novels, which didn’t appeal to me.

Then 1998 came; I was looking for new titles for my OG PlayStation, and one game caught my eye. I saw Metal Gear Solid and was stoked! I had no idea that the IP would be revived in the 32-bit era. I didn’t bother asking to try it out; I just asked the sales guy to wrap it up and take my cash.

I finally understood Hideo Kojima’s vision for stealth games through Metal Gear Solid; it was innovative, unique, and mesmerizing.

Metal Gear Solid wasn’t just a simple stealth action game anymore; it was an entertainment extravaganza in 32-bit glory. I played it over and over, never skipping cutscenes, and made sure I found every secret and easter egg hidden in this masterpiece.

Since MGS, my love for Kojima’s games only grew, and from then on, I made sure I was up to date on any news about his latest titles.

Fast forward to 2015, and after 15 games in 30 years, news broke that Hideo Kojima was leaving Konami.

It broke my heart because these 2 entities practically built my childhood, and I eventually rode the hate wagon against Konami after finding out the backstory of the drama.

News had it that Konami executives locked him out of his offices and pushed him out of the company for unknown reasons; they even barred him from attending Geoff Keighley’s yearly event – The Game Awards, which pissed me off even more.

I felt really sorry for Kojima since he had printed money for Konami for years, only to be seemingly mistreated and laid off. It was hard for me to grasp; they even had the audacity to make Metal Gear Survive after he was gone, which flopped hard. I never bothered to try it, and I hoped Kojima would rise again elsewhere.

I followed Hideo Kojima on social media to get the latest updates on his journey and, of course, plans for his gaming career.

We all know what happened next.

Sony brought Hideo Kojima into the PlayStation fold and funded Kojima Productions, eventually leading to his weirdest game yet, Death Stranding.

I watched the trailer on YouTube and didn’t understand any of the scenes or gameplay shown. And yet, I was still excited for Death Stranding. I preordered it without fully knowing what the game had in store for me. I trusted Kojima and how his brain works; I knew he would blow my mind.

Then November 2019 came. It was time to find out exactly what Death Stranding was all about.

The opening sequence of Death Stranding immediately sets the tone. Norman Reedus crashes his tri-cruiser down a mountain after a bizarre encounter with Léa Seydoux. Your first objective? Retrieve your scattered cargo. But this isn’t standard video game cleanup—you have to carefully manage your stride, balance, and cargo placement just to stay upright.

That’s when it clicked for me: Death Stranding isn’t a “walking simulator.” It’s an action-management survival game with a side of stealth. I’d never experienced anything quite like it. Is it Kojima’s best game? No. Will it appeal to everyone? Not a chance. But it’s pure, uncut Kojima, and that unique signature was more than enough to turn a bizarre concept into a commercial success for Sony.

That success paved the way for Death Stranding 2, which refined every system from the original. With tighter gunplay, richer mechanics, and deeper lore, it earned a well-deserved Game of the Year nomination and easily ranks among Kojima’s best since MGS4.

Then came announcements that had me losing my mind all over again: OD for Xbox, and Physint, a brand-new stealth-espionage IP planned for PlayStation. But just as my hype peaked, lightning struck twice. Sony and Kojima Productions split, leaving Physint canceled in the fallout.

It felt like a rerun of the Konami situation years ago, only worse because Physint was supposed to be the ultimate spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid.

Looking at Sony’s recent track record- from expensive misfires like Concord to digital-first shifts that alienate physical collectors it’s tough to wrap your head around letting Kojima slip away.

Xbox, meanwhile, jumped at the chance. Under Asha Sharma’s leadership, Microsoft backed Kojima Productions to revive Physint. The cast reveal at the Xbox TGS Showcase, starring Bill Skarsgård, Don Lee, Charlee Fraser, and Minami Hamabe, proved Xbox is going all-in.

The biggest technical mystery now is the engine. Without access to Sony’s Decima engine, Unreal Engine 5 is the most likely candidate, given Kojima’s familiarity with it on OD. Either way, my trust stays squarely with Hideo Kojima.

Hopefully, this partnership with Xbox finally gives him the stable runway he needs to build his ultimate vision.