All Articles: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Are you ready for some DRAMA and INTRIGUE? GameSpot is reporting that Hideo Kojima might be leaving Konami after the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

According to GameSpot, a source within Konami is claiming the publisher wants to push Hideo Kojima out of Kojima Productions along with other senior staff. The insider said Kojima’s employment with the company has already been terminated, and that he’s currently serving out the rest of his contract on a temporary basis. It was also stated that he is being prevented from promoting The Phantom Pain. This report comes on the heels of a shutdown of the Kojima Productions Twitter account and the removal of Hideo Kojima’s name from the official Metal Gear Solid website. Kojima’s name was also removed from a list of Konami executives as the publisher moves to a “headquarters-controlled system.”

Konami, of course, has denied these reports and issued a full statement to GameSpot:

“As we have already announced, we are shifting our production structure to a headquarters-controlled system, in order to establish a steadfast operating base capable of responding to the rapid market changes that surround our digital entertainment business. Konami Digital Entertainment (including Mr. Kojima), will continue to develop and support Metal Gear products. Please look forward to future announcements.”

It’s important to note, as GamesRadar did, that there’s no actual proof that Kojima is leaving Konami or that he’s being pushed out. Right now, everything being reported is conjecture, hearsay, and circumstantial evidence. In the end, this could all turn out to be nothing.

After the completion of The Phantom Pain, which will be released on September 1, Kojima was expected to devote his energy to Silent Hills and a collaboration with director Guillermo Del Toro. But right now, all we can do is wait for any “future announcements” from Konami.

It’s hard to believe that news this big would just sneak out of Konami, but it looks like Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will be released on September 1. The news comes courtesy of a a behind-the-scenes interview with Hideo Kojima that IGN accidentally published a day earlier than planned. Several sites (including Game Informer) peeked at the video before it was pulled and shared the good news with the world.

Kojima had a few other interesting tidbits to share in the video including the fact that Snake will be more of a “silent protagonist” in The Phantom Pain. If that’s true, then why hire Kiefer Sutherland? Rather than expound on that puzzling question, Kojima reiterated (again) that The Phantom Pain will be his last time directing a Metal Gear Solid game:

“I always say this will be my last Metal Gear, but the games in the series I’ve personally designed and produced: Metal Gear on MSX, Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, 3, 4, and Peace Walker, and now Metal Gear Solid V are what constitute a single Metal Gear saga,” he says. “With Metal Gear Solid V, I’m finally closing the loop on that saga. In that sense, this will be the final Metal Gear Solid. Even if the Metal Gear franchise continues, to me, this is the last Metal Gear.”

Konami acknowledged the leak on Twitter, but they also promised players that more Metal Gear-related announcements will be made tomorrow (at 12:00 PM Eastern Time) when their countdown expires.