In a move that will surprise no one, Hideo Kojima, the famed creator of the massive Metal Gear franchise, has left Konami.
Earlier this year, Kojima’s name and production studio (aptly named Kojima Productions) disappeared from the box art for the then-upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The story blew up as there was no comment from either party involved at the time. Konami has since halted productions on every game in its upcoming roster with the exception of Pro Evolution Soccer.
Prior to all this, Konami cancelled Silent Hills, a joint project between Guillermo del Toro and Kojima Productions, also without warning.
The New Yorker has reported that Kojima’s final day at Konami was October 9th, marking nearly 30 years with the company.
We don’t know what’s next for Kojima, but we can say that, as polarizing a figure as he is in the gaming industry, and with the new ideas that must be bouncing around his brain, we’ll hopefully see him back on the gaming scene sooner rather than later.
The other question that arises is what will happen with the Metal Gear series from here on out. Some might argue that, like 343 Industries taking over the Halo franchise, it would be okay to have some fresh hands on the series. What’s ironic is that Kojima Productions actually remains a part of Konami’s portfolio as the production house is wholly-owned by Konami.
The studio did tell Nintendo Life that it would continue to develop console franchises such as Metal Gear in addition to Silent Hill and Castlevania.
We expect to hear from Konami sooner than we do from Kojima, but we can’t say we’re not excited about prospects from Kojima’s entirely new ventures, whatever they may be.