Xbox Takes Over Physint Publishing as Kojima Partnership Expands Beyond OD

What actually happened​

PlayStation Studios rescinded its publishing partnership with Kojima Productions on the espionage game Physint, which Xbox will now publish instead. Xbox then announced it was expanding its own partnership with Kojima Productions by taking over the publishing duties. That means Xbox supports two of Kojima's upcoming projects, Physint and OD – Knock.

PlayStation's public statement was diplomatic. It said the decision came "after careful consideration" and gave no specific reason. It also said it still had "great admiration" for Kojima's vision and that its relationship with Kojima Productions remained strong.

Xbox Wire's announcement on September 9 carries a statement from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. It also carries a line from Kojima that the deal "expands our relationship with XBOX beyond OD."

The partnership is also not limited to games. The deal will "extend beyond games" to include film and television collaborations. No specific film or TV projects were announced.

What has not been disclosed​

The public announcements leave out the details that would matter most commercially.

• Platforms and exclusivity. Exact platforms, release timing and production scope haven't been disclosed. Nothing in the announcements says Physint is Xbox-exclusive or that Sony hardware is excluded. The GamesRadar opinion piece calls the earlier Sony arrangement a "PS5-exclusive" plan. That framing isn't backed by the official statements.
• Financial terms. The announcements gave no figures.
• Release dates. Neither game has one.

Kojima's account of the switch​

According to PC Gamer's report of an IGN interview, Sony contacted Kojima in June and asked for a Zoom call. On that call, "They said they can no longer fund development for Physint," Kojima recalled. That is a different thing from a game being "canceled." The project lost its funder and then found another.

PC Gamer reported that finding a new publisher took a frantic three months of pitching. It also reported that Kojima said he had "borrowed money from the bank" to help fund the studio, and that a stopped project could have put the studio in serious trouble. He said he didn't hold any bad feelings toward Sony.

One more detail comes from the reporting on the deal. Variety, as cited on Wikipedia, reported that talks between Kojima and Sharma about further collaboration began in early 2026, after she succeeded Phil Spencer as Xbox CEO. Treat that as secondhand and unconfirmed by Xbox.

Project updates from Tokyo Game Show​

At Xbox's Tokyo Game Show 2026 broadcast, Kojima appeared with more news on both games.

• Physint casting. Xbox Wire reported that Bill Skarsgård will play the lead. He joins Charlee Fraser, Don Lee and Minami Hamabe, with more casting promised.
• OD – KNOCK. Kojima showed behind-the-scenes footage of Sophia Lillis and Hunter Schafer in a performance-capture session.

On his Koji10 radio show, as reported by GamesRadar, Kojima called OD "still a mystery." He said filming began in June and will run through the end of the year, with dubbing work carrying into 2027. The same report quotes him saying that the lack of promotion is "unusual for me."

The GamesRadar opinion piece says both games are "progressing as planned." The radio-show coverage gives a detailed progress update only for OD. Xbox's announcement says only that Physint development moves forward.

Where the opinion piece goes further than the evidence​

GamesRadar's column argues that the deal wins back goodwill for Xbox, hurts Sony at a vulnerable moment, and distracts from restructuring. Those are interpretations. Xbox's own statements don't support them, and the commercial effect is unknown.

Some of the column's background claims also don't hold up against Xbox's own posts.

• Studio changes. Xbox's September 22 update says Compulsion Games and Double Fine returned to independent management in August. It says Undead Labs has transitioned to a new publisher, and that two agreements for Ninja Theory fell through, so Xbox will begin consultation on a proposed closure. It also says Bethesda will expand its remit to include Obsidian. That is a reporting-line change, and Obsidian will continue its current projects. "Merged" overstates it.
• Activision. The "$75 billion purchase of Call of Duty" wording is shorthand. The deal was Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
• Sony's disc plans. The column says Sony is going digital-only and will stop making discs in 2028. I found no primary-source confirmation of that, so I'm not repeating it.

Why this matters for Xbox's strategy​

The context is Xbox's July 6 reset memo. In it, Sharma wrote that it is "neither possible nor desirable to own every great independent studio," and said Xbox would help independent creators with open development tools and audiences. A publishing deal with an independent studio fits that stated direction. Backing Kojima Productions without owning it follows the same approach.

The same memo describes a business running at much lower margins than comparable platform and publishing businesses. It also describes a restructuring of roughly 3,200 roles across FY27. Against that backdrop, a high-profile creator partnership is a reputational win for Xbox. It is not yet a financial one.

Bottom line​

• Confirmed: Xbox publishes Physint, its existing OD partnership continues, and film and TV collaboration is planned.
• Reported by Kojima, not confirmed by Sony: Sony told him in June it could no longer fund Physint.
• Still unknown: platforms, exclusivity, budget and release dates.
• Opinion, not fact: that this deal reshapes the console wars or repairs Xbox's image.

For now, Xbox has two Kojima projects and a release calendar with nothing on it yet. Whether it also gains goodwill depends on what Kojima Productions ships.