Hideo Kojima has recently shared the backstory behind his new project, Physint, a collaboration with Sony which is a result of fan demands for another Metal Gear game. While developing the Death Stranding IP at Kojima Studios, Kojima’s priorities shifted after a period of illness, prompting him to work on an action espionage game.

During a recent episode of HideoTube, Kojima explained that he initially wanted to explore something new with his own IP when he became an independent developer. This led to the creation of Death Stranding and the upcoming Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. Nevertheless, despite his efforts to move in a new direction, Kojima continued to receive daily requests from fans for a new Metal Gear game. It was not until he fell ill and underwent surgery that his perspective changed:

“So why did I decide to make this? Well first off, because I became independent, I wanted to do something new with my own IP. So to challenge myself, I first made Death Stranding. Then, to create a franchise, I made Death Stranding 2. And I wanted to do something even newer, so I started working on OD. And since then, there have been a lot of new ideas. But in the last eight years, every day on social media, from users all around the world, people have been asking me to create another Metal Gear and stuff like that.”

“Then, I fell ill in 2020. It was also during the pandemic, so I was sick and isolated during all of it. I even had surgery. And I thought, ‘I can’t anymore.’ I was at my lowest and felt like I couldn’t go back to making games. I wrote a will, too. And in that moment, I realized that people die. But, I turned 60 last year. I’ll turn 70 in ten years. I hope to never retire. Having said that, if the users desire it so much, I thought I should change my priorities a bit. I still want to do new things, but I decided to make an action espionage game.”

Physint, as Kojima describes, will be a unique project that is both a game and a movie at the same time, given the immersive experience that it promises. This innovative approach could explain the brief glimpse of a Columbia Pictures lot in the game’s announcement teaser. While there are limited details available about the game at this time, Kojima has hinted that more information will be unveiled in the future.

In addition to the insights into Physint, the recent HideoTube episode also provided further details about Death Stranding 2. Kojima anticipates significant improvements in the graphics compared to those seen in the State of Play trailer, emphasizing that “the assets are ready, we just need to construct them.” Additionally, the game’s setting will be in a different continent outside of America, where the protagonist, Sam, is working to connect the Chiral Network. His efforts are supported by a new group, Drawbridge, led by Fragile, aiming to expand connectivity beyond the United Cities of America (UCA) without causing unrest in those regions.

Moreover, the trailer for Death Stranding 2 features a mysterious puppet who will accompany Sam, offering companionship and conversation while he carries out his deliveries. According to Kojima, the puppet is modeled on German director Faith Akin, although its name has yet to be revealed.