A new insistent rumor is circulating on the side of potential takeovers in the video game industry. This time, Kojima Productions is expected to come under the command of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Some more or less credible clues have been spotted in recent hours…
But as always, it is essential to remember that nothing has yet been confirmed and that all the elements that follow must be taken with caution.
Kojima and Sony: a great love story
After his stormy separation from Konami, Hideo Kojima found refuge at PlayStation in December 2015. This partnership gave birth to Death Stranding, launched exclusively on PS4 in 2019 before arriving on PC the following year. Then, the Director's Cut version was launched in September 2021 on the PS5 side and then once again on PC last month. But it is important to specify that Kojima Productions still officiates as an independent studio at present.
This week, a user of the Resetera forums noticed that Sony had added Sam Bridges, the hero of Death Stranding, on its banner grouping PlayStation Studios productions. It was enough to ignite the web and many players saw this change as an indication of a hypothetical takeover of Kojima Productions by the Japanese manufacturer.
Much ado about not much?
If this simple detail was enough to set fire to the powder, it is because rumors from the corridor have been evoking for several days a big announcement more or less imminent on the part of Sony. Some speak of a large-scale takeover... Of course, given the real proximity between Kojima Productions and PlayStation, it would not be surprising to witness a marriage between these two companies. But do the latest elements really change the situation?
Not necessarily because the PlayStation Studios logo has always been enthroned alongside the Death Stranding Director's Cut since the game's first trailer (see below). Under this entity, Sony not only brings together titles from its own studios but also certain exclusives developed by external teams. This is the case here. In addition, it is the Japanese firm which holds the rights to the Death Stranding brand. It is therefore not unusual to see it sit at the same level as Ratchet & Clank, God of War or even The Last of Us, even if Kojima Productions does not (yet) belong to Sony.
Additionally, Hideo Kojima is currently developing a project in partnership with Xbox. According to journalist Jeff Grubb, the partnership was still valid a few weeks ago. It is true that this element would not prevent Sony from buying the studio. Moreover, Kojima Productions recently moved without explaining the reason. Would this move be on the initiative of PlayStation? It's too early to tell, but it's clear that apart from the new PlayStation Studios banner, there isn't much new to report.
