The Xbox Kojima Productions partnership is already moving quickly. Just days after Microsoft confirmed it will publish PHYSINT, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has visited Hideo Kojima and his team in Japan for a working session covering OD, PHYSINT and what comes next.
Sharma shared photos from Kojima Productions and described it as a working day with the studio. Kojima also posted images from the visit, including the pair together inside the studio and Sharma sitting with the team during what appears to be a development meeting. The timing makes the visit much more interesting than a normal executive stop.
Xbox Is Already Getting to Work on PHYSINT
Xbox only officially announced its expanded Kojima Productions partnership days ago.
Working day with @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN and team on OD, PHYSINT and the future. https://t.co/RQFdMNtCIx
— ASHA (@asha_shar) September 14, 2026
PHYSINT originally began as a PlayStation-backed project, but Sony decided to step away earlier this year. Kojima later explained that his studio spent roughly three months looking for another partner because the team did not want to abandon the action-espionage game. That search ended with Xbox.
Microsoft was already working with Kojima Productions on OD, the mysterious horror project that has been tied to Xbox for years. The new agreement means Xbox will now also publish PHYSINT.
Sharma made the importance of that move clear when the deal was announced, calling it a major moment for Xbox. Kojima said Microsoft shared the studio’s creative vision and that the new agreement expanded their relationship beyond OD. Now Sharma is already at the studio.
Her latest post specifically mentions working on OD, PHYSINT and the future, suggesting the visit was not simply ceremonial. Kojima also said Sharma signed the famous Kojima Productions signboard, something often done by important guests who visit the studio.
OD and PHYSINT Are Becoming a Bigger Xbox Story
Having both projects under the same Xbox partnership gives Microsoft a much deeper relationship with Kojima than it had before. OD was originally the main connection. Kojima has described the project as something unusual that tries to blur the line between games and other forms of entertainment, and Xbox has backed it from the beginning.
PHYSINT now adds a very different type of game. Kojima has described PHYSINT as a next-generation action-espionage project, putting him back into the genre that made him famous with Metal Gear. Development is continuing after the PlayStation split, although many important details remain secret.
Asha also signed our signboard. Thank you so much 🙏🙇🏻🫶@asha_shar pic.twitter.com/d86tA31JkO
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) September 14, 2026
Xbox’s September announcement also confirmed that the relationship will go beyond games. Microsoft and Kojima Productions plan to collaborate across film and television as well.
Sharma’s use of the words “the future” during today’s visit is therefore interesting, but it should not be stretched into confirmation of another unannounced game. Neither Xbox nor Kojima Productions revealed a new project during the visit. For now, the confirmed focus is OD and PHYSINT.
The Timing Makes the Visit Hard to Ignore
The biggest part of this story is how quickly everything is happening.
Only a few days ago, PHYSINT was making headlines because PlayStation had stepped away and Xbox suddenly took over as publisher. Now the head of Xbox is already inside Kojima Productions meeting with the team behind it.
That does not tell us when PHYSINT will release or exactly what stage development has reached. It also does not confirm that Xbox will make the game exclusive to its consoles. The final platform list for PHYSINT has not yet been officially announced.
Still, the visit sends a clear message about how seriously Xbox is treating the relationship. Microsoft now has two Kojima Productions projects under its umbrella, and its CEO is already working directly with the studio only days after the PHYSINT deal became public. For Xbox, the Kojima partnership suddenly looks much bigger than just OD.
Add Comment