Konami has just shut down its Los Angeles studio. Founded in 2013 as Kojima Productions Los Angeles, the studio was responsible for creating Metal Gear Online. Eurogamer says over 20 jobs were lost as a result.
The company confirmed the news in a statement released earlier today.
"Konami has made the decision to close its Los Angeles Studio, effective immediately, due to the product development resources being restructured into a more centralized unit. This facility contributed to the recent Metal Gear Solid games. Konami will continue its operations to support all Metal Gear Solid titles, including the recently launched Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phanton Pain and Metal Gear Online. Metal Gear Online is still scheduled to release for PC Steam in January 2016."
The news is the latest in the ongoing saga between Konami and Hideo Kojima, the respected game developer and creator of the best-selling Metal Gear Solid franchise.
Eariler this year, Konami shuttered Silent Hills; the survival horror title he was working on together with director Guillermo Del Toro and Walking Dead star Norman Reedus.P.T. Kojima Productions branding was also removed from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain's final box art, which indicated that Kojima's time at the company may be at an end.
"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!" Said Japanese voice actor Akio Otsuka in a tweet from last July.
Last month, The New Yorker, published a report saying that Kojima's last day with the company was October 9.
Kojima is expected to formally depart Konami once his contract ends in December.
