Hideo Kojima doesn't know if Physint will release on PlayStation after Xbox picked up publishing duties, and hasn't "decided" if he'll use the Sony-owned Decima engine, either

Xbox Game Studios has stepped in as publisher for Physint, a spiritual successor to Metal Gear that was originally slated as a Sony‑first‑party project. Kojima Productions, which delivered Death Stranding and its sequel on PlayStation using Guerilla Games’ Decima engine, now faces a crossroads: the studio has not locked in any engine and Kojima admits he is still “experimenting.” The uncertainty extends to platform availability—Kojima defers the answer to Xbox, noting the company’s public stance on delivering games to as many players as possible. This development matters because it signals a rare shift of a high‑profile Kojima title from Sony’s ecosystem to Microsoft’s, potentially reshaping the distribution and technical roadmap for a game that could become a flagship exclusive for the Xbox brand.

The move fits into Microsoft’s broader strategy under CEO Asha Sharma to rebuild an exclusive‑first portfolio after years of cross‑generational releases on PlayStation. While Xbox has historically ported its big titles to PS5, Sharma’s tenure marks a pivot toward platform‑specific launches such as Gears of War E‑Day and Clockwork Revolution. At the same time, Sony continues to support multi‑platform releases for franchises like Forza Horizon 6, indicating a more flexible approach. Kojima’s ambiguous engine choice adds another layer: if Decima is abandoned, Physint may forgo the visual fidelity and tooling that benefited Death Stranding, but it could also free the studio to adopt a Microsoft‑aligned engine like Unreal or a proprietary solution, aligning with Xbox’s ecosystem and possibly accelerating integration with Xbox Live services.

The next few months will reveal whether Physint becomes an Xbox‑exclusive, a true cross‑platform title, or a delayed project caught in technical indecision. Key signals to watch include an official engine announcement, any clarification from Xbox on platform strategy, and budget or timeline updates that could affect launch windows. If Microsoft commits to a multi‑platform release, it could soften the blow to Sony fans and reinforce Xbox’s “play everywhere” narrative; a strict exclusivity would deepen the rivalry and test Kojima Productions’ ability to thrive under a new publishing partner.