Sony has withdrawn from Hideo Kojima's stealth action game Physint, with Xbox subsequently taking over the project. Rumors surrounding the game's budget have cited a figure of $400 million, but the exact amount has yet to be confirmed.
Physint was announced in 2024. Sony announced its withdrawal from the project earlier this month. Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier stated that Sony and Kojima Productions engaged in months of negotiations regarding the project's future, budget, development timeline, agreement extensions, and exclusivity arrangements, ultimately failing to reach a mutually satisfactory outcome.
There are currently differing accounts regarding the budget. The Game Business previously reported that Xbox would invest approximately $400 million in Physint. Schreier did not confirm this figure; he later stated that an Xbox insider familiar with the deal told him the amount Xbox paid to secure the project was "far less" than $400 million.
Schreier also cautioned that the initial signing amount with PlayStation, the figures discussed in subsequent negotiations, and the final development costs may all differ, making it difficult to summarize with a single number at this stage. He previously mentioned that Sony had concerns about the project's progress, costs, and exclusivity arrangements. Kojima Productions has disputed these claims, urging players to view them with caution.
According to previously disclosed arrangements, Kojima Productions hoped to retain ownership of the Physint IP, while Sony would receive timed exclusivity, allowing the game to launch on other platforms afterward. This was one of the conditions involved in the negotiations between the two parties and cannot be taken as the sole reason for Sony's withdrawal.
Physint is still in early development, with actor Bill Skarsgård set to play the lead role. As the project transitions to Xbox, Hideo Kojima has not yet determined which engine the game will use.