Hideo Kojima ushers in 2026 with ‘second phase’ vision for Kojima Productions

Bidding farewell to 2025 and ushering in 2026, legendary video game director and designer behind some of the most groundbreaking video games since the dawn of the video game industry, Hideo Kojima, shared his new year wishes, looked back on Kojima Productions' trajectory, and outlined a new resolution for the studio.

In a heartwarming message on X, Kojima addressed longtime fans and said, “Happy New Year.” He further wrote, “In 2026, we will move forward with the ‘Second Phase’ that leads into Kojima Productions’ Third Phase.”

This is a change of pace for Kojima, who has been actively participating in numerous interviews, celebrated the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and went on a world tour to further his connections with fans across the globe and the studios’ foundations.

This year, however, Kojima plans on keeping things “real” or grounded. He explained in his post, “Unlike last year, I was traveling all over the world; this year will be about staying grounded and laying solid foundations.”

By this, Kojima means he’s going to dedicate his time and effort to developing his upcoming PlayStation and Xbox-exclusive games. Kojima is currently developing a horror game, OD, in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios, which he calls an experimental horror experience that aims to make the most of cloud technology while exploring dread and fear in new, more innovative ways.

However, that’s yet to be seen, since we’ve only received a handful of teasers from Kojima Productions regarding OD.

Meanwhile, Physint’s development pipeline is in infancy. Currently, the game is heading into pre-production with Sony Interactive. With Kojima working on Physint’s concept as his presumably final stealth action espionage title, he’s confirmed that preparations for “casting actors, scanning, and performance capture shoots” are well underway.

At Kojima Productions' 10th-anniversary celebration, the game is reported to star Carhlee Fraser, Don Lee a.k.a. Ma Dong-seok (who is also working on Gang of Dragon), and Minami Hamabe. Physint promises to blur the lines between cinema and gaming, and is part of Kojima’s grand, long-term scheme for “total media domination.” Hopefully, that pans out for Kojima. However, he’s tempered his hopes for Physint’s release numerous times, stating that the game is 5 to 6 years away from launch.

This year marks a personal milestone for Kojima: his 40th year in the video game industry, which he entered in 1986. He ended off on a humble note, stating, “Thank you, as always, for your continued support and support for Kojima Productions. I look forward to another great year.”

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