Rumors have swirled regarding the fate of the relationship between video game designer Hideo Kojima and Konami, his long-time employer and the publisher of his smash hit action stealth series 'Metal Gear Solid.' In March, word first hit the web that the two parties had a falling out. Kojima's name was removed from Konami's official website.
While Silent Hills, the survival horror game he was making in collaboration with filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus, was unexpectedly axed from development. The playable demo for the game "P.T." was also removed from online storefronts such as the Playstation Network and Xbox Marketplace.
Earlier this week Akio Otsuka, the Japanese voice actor of Solid Snake the main character of the Metal Gear franchise, tweeted that Kojima's development studio Kojima Productions had been shuttered by Konami. When translated from Japanese, Otsuka's tweet reads:
"Kojima Productions got dissolved, and due to the team's hard effort, the game is just about finished. This is no exaggeration, but it's bound to be a supreme masterpiece! I can't help it if I want to say, 'I kept you waiting.' Even if this is the last time ... MGS lives forever!"
コジプロは解散させられてしまったが、チームの奮闘により作品はどうやらほぼ完成となった。掛け値なしに最高の傑作となった筈！早く「待たせたな」と言いたくて仕方ない(笑)これが最期になったとしとも…MGS は 不滅 です！ コジプ... https://t.co/9zeTNDpNxp
— 大塚 明夫 (@AkioOtsuka) July 10, 2015
Now it seems that Konami has fired another at Kojima. Gaming website Kotaku revealed that Kojima's name, and all traces of Kojima Productions logos and branding, have been removed from the cover art of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the latest game in the long running franchise due in stores this September. Kojima has overseen the franchise for over 30 years, so Konami's decision to wipe his name from the game's cover speaks volumes about the state of their relationship.
Konami has declined to comment on any of the recent happenings, so as of now Kojima's fate is up in the air.
