It has been a busy month for Hideo Kojima, following Sony's decision to stop backing the development of the director's upcoming title PHYSINT and the reveal of Kojima Productions' recently announced publishing partnership with Xbox. PHYSINT is considered by many as the spiritual successor to the Metal Gear franchise.
But although the worst seems to be over, there's still a lot more work to be done in the upcoming spy thriller, with Kojima himself revealing in an interview with The Washington Post that they have yet to narrow down the project's engine choice. The title's initial game and plot concepts, however, are already done, with the production of 3D models being currently on the way.
The interview also revealed new behind-the-scenes details regarding Sony's decision to cut the funding for the upcoming title, with Kojima being, according to it, made aware of it via a Zoom call back in June 2026, leaving the director in shock as he thought about the future of the studio and his employees. ''I was just shocked and surprised,” he said. “I didn’t have any anger or sadness. I was just thinking, ‘What should I do?’ It’s a big problem for us, and I couldn’t tell staff at the time.”
The title's initial game and plot concepts are already done, with the production of 3D models being currently on the way.
Contrary to the bombshell publisher change, PHYSINT's engine situation does not seem to be a surprise for most fans or members of the industry, as the Decima Engine, used by the developer in both Death Stranding and 2025's Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, was heavily rumored to remain a Sony-exclusive.
Even if that's the case, it's also vital to point out that no official announcements were made regarding the studio's ability or inability to use the engine in the new project. What we know for sure is that the reveal indicates that fans might still need to wait a couple of years to see PHYSINT's Hollywood-starred cast fully realized.
As if to show the world that PHYSINT is very much alive, Kojima Productions made a surprise appearance in the September 17 XBOX Tokyo Game Show 2026 broadcast and revealed Bill Skarsgård to be the choice for its heavily rumored leading role.
“I'm delighted to confirm the lead role for PHYSINT will be Bill Skarsgård,” Kojima said in an official blog post. “We are both long-time fans of each other’s work, and we've decided to embark on this new adventure together. The costume fittings, scans, and camera tests we conducted with Bill and Charlee earlier this year gave me tremendous confidence in the direction of the project.”
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.dualshockers.com/kojima-reveals-physint-hasnt-chosen-an-engine/
