Hideo Kojima is making a spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid

01 February 2024 , 19:30

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Hideo Kojima is in the early stages of creating a spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid (Image: Konami)

Hideo Kojima and Sony's Herman Hulst confirmed that after the release of Death Stranding 2, Kojima will be making a new game in the action espionage genre that he pioneered.

Metal Gear Solid – despite being one of the most iconic and influential series ever made – is approaching 10 years without a new entry. Sure there have been ports, the upcoming remake – Metal Gear Solid Delta – and a terrible spinoff, but I'd be shocked if we see any new games bearing the Metal Gear Solid name for a long time. Obviously, the main reason for this is due to series creator Hideo Kojima's very public departure from publisher Konami back in 2015, following the release of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.

Meanwhile, Kojima's been busy creating Death Stranding, its upcoming sequel – Death Stranding 2 On the Beach – and making a horror game with Jordan Peele. We got an extended look at Death Stranding 2 at this week's PlayStation State of Play, where a new 10-minute trailer and 2025 release date were revealed. And while it looked as bonkers as you would expect if you played the first game, an even more interesting bit of news came out after the trailer.

Right at the end of the PlayStation State of Play stream, Hideo Kojima and Sony's Herman Hulst revealed that Kojima's next project following Death Stranding 2 will be a PlayStation exclusive title with a new IP in the 'action espionage' genre. Kojima goes on to say that this upcoming title will be a culmination of his work and that he hopes to "transcend the barriers between film and video games" with it. He later revealed in a tweet that the project has the working title of PHYSINT

Kept you waiting huh?

I'm a huge fan of Metal Gear, and despite the cult-like attitude towards him at times rubbing me up the wrong way, I'm always game to see what Hideo Kojima is working on. You can always guarantee that even if a game isn't my jam (for example, horror with PT, delivery simulators with Death Stranding) Kojima's style makes it an undoubtedly interesting experience, and that level of weirdness rarely breaks through in the AAA market nowadays. I'm happy to see him continue to work on whatever he wants to make.

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On the other hand, Metal Gear Solid 5 is one of the greatest games ever made, and the fact a true successor never came out was rough. So, even though I typically don't get myself excited for CGI trailers, or logo reveals (I typically have to wait until I see gameplay to get into something), the mere mention of a new espionage game from Hideo Kojima was undoubtedly the highlight of the PlayStation State of Play.

Scott McCrae