Kojima Productions
In April 2005, a new team formed inside the Japanese giant Konami. This group took the name Kojima Productions and operated as a subsidiary of the larger corporation. The merger combined several existing units, including Hideo Kojima's own division at Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. At its start, the team employed around one hundred people. As development progressed on Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the staff count grew to over two hundred employees. Kojima stated that this corporate structure relieved him from business management duties he had held as Konami's vice president. He could now focus entirely on creating games while maintaining his position on the Konami board. The team also developed the Fox Engine during this period. In March 2013, the company opened a secondary studio in Playa Vista, Los Angeles called Kojima Productions Los Angeles.
On the 16th of March 2015, Konami announced a major restructuring of its game development operations. The company shifted to a headquarters-controlled system to better respond to rapid market changes. Shortly after this announcement, the Kojima Productions branding quietly disappeared from company websites and office buildings. A few days later, an anonymous employee claimed that Kojima and senior staff planned to leave Konami in December 2015 following their contract conclusions. Konami denied these claims and insisted Kojima would remain involved with the Metal Gear franchise. Kojima affirmed he was still fully committed to finishing The Phantom Pain. In December 2015, the production team received a Developer of the Year nomination at The Game Awards 2015 but lost to CD Projekt Red. Konami lawyers reportedly blocked Kojima from attending the ceremony. Actor Kiefer Sutherland accepted the award for The Phantom Pain on behalf of the absent director.
On the 16th of December 2015, Hideo Kojima made a joint announcement with Sony Computer Entertainment regarding his future plans. He declared the creation of a new independent studio bearing the same name, Kojima Productions. Yoji Shinkawa and Kenichiro Imaizumi joined him as key collaborators. The studio opened its main offices in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and established a small division in Amsterdam near Guerrilla Games in 2016. Kojima set a strict limit of one hundred employees for this new venture. He cited Media Molecule as an inspiration due to its relaxed atmosphere and high number of female staff members. He described his goal as creating an intimate studio that felt like family rather than an army. At E3 2016, Kojima unveiled a trailer for Death Stranding during Sony's pre-E3 conference. The game released through Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2019. A PC version followed via 505 Games in July 2020. In April 2020, the office temporarily closed after an employee contracted COVID-19. Imaizumi left the company in 2019.
The first major release from the independent studio arrived in November 2019 with Death Stranding on PlayStation 4. A Director's Cut version expanded the experience across multiple platforms including PlayStation 5, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Xbox Series X/S, and Amazon Luna by late 2021. On the 12th of June 2022, Microsoft announced a partnership between Kojima Productions and Xbox Game Studios for a new project. During The Game Awards 2023, Kojima and Jordan Peele revealed the horror title OD. On the 31st of January 2024, Sony presented a second trailer confirming the subtitle On the Beach for the Death Stranding sequel. The sequel was scheduled for release in 2025. In November 2024, the studio reclaimed intellectual property rights to Death Stranding from Sony Interactive Entertainment. This move coincided with the immediate launch of the Director's Cut on additional platforms like the Microsoft Store for Windows and Amazon Luna cloud gaming service. On the 31st of December 2024, public records showed that actor scanning and filming for OD were suspended due to a video game strike.
Kojima Productions continues development on two major titles beyond Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The first is OD, an upcoming horror game developed in partnership with Xbox Game Studios. The second is Physint, described as both a film and a video game created in collaboration with Columbia Pictures. Physint will enter full development after work on Death Stranding 2 concludes. The studio also announced plans to bring Death Stranding to more platforms following their IP reclamation in late 2024. These projects represent a significant expansion of their portfolio beyond the initial PlayStation exclusives. The team aims to leverage cutting-edge cloud technology provided by Microsoft for future releases. Kojima has stated he wants to explore concepts never before seen in the industry through these partnerships.
In November 2019, Kojima Productions announced its intention to produce films alongside games. Two years later, the studio opened a new business division for television series and films in Los Angeles. By December 2022, they partnered with Hammerstone Studios to fund a live-action feature based on Death Stranding. A24 joined the project as a co-producer. An animated film titled Death Stranding: Mosquito was announced as a collaboration between ABC Animation and Lyrical Animation. The studio also produced an anime television series called Death Stranding Isolations in collaboration with E&H Production. This series distributes through Disney+ and is scheduled for release in 2027. In 2024, a documentary titled Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds appeared as a co-production with PlayStation Studios and Filmworks. It distributed via Disney+. These ventures mark a clear shift toward multimedia storytelling under the same corporate umbrella.
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Common questions
When did Kojima Productions form inside Konami?
Kojima Productions formed in April 2005 as a subsidiary of the Japanese giant Konami. The team started with around one hundred people and later grew to over two hundred employees during development on Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
What happened to Kojima Productions in March 2015?
Konami announced a major restructuring of its game development operations on the 16th of March 2015 that led to the disappearance of the Kojima Productions branding from company websites and office buildings. Hideo Kojima remained committed to finishing The Phantom Pain despite these corporate changes.
How many employees does the independent Kojima Productions have?
Hideo Kojima set a strict limit of one hundred employees for this new venture when he created the independent studio. He cited Media Molecule as an inspiration due to its relaxed atmosphere and high number of female staff members while aiming to create an intimate studio that felt like family rather than an army.
When was Death Stranding released by Kojima Productions?
The first major release from the independent studio arrived in November 2019 with Death Stranding on PlayStation 4. A Director's Cut version expanded the experience across multiple platforms including PlayStation 5, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Xbox Series X/S, and Amazon Luna by late 2021.
What projects is Kojima Productions developing beyond Death Stranding 2: On the Beach?
Kojima Productions continues development on two major titles beyond Death Stranding 2: On the Beach which are OD and Physint. OD is an upcoming horror game developed in partnership with Xbox Game Studios while Physint is described as both a film and a video game created in collaboration with Columbia Pictures.