Hideo Kojima says he’s making Metal Gear successor because fans kept asking him to

Acclaimed director Hideo Kojima had a ton to say about his upcoming action-espionage title this week, confirming the new game is a successor to Metal Gear Solid and that he decided to make it because fans really wanted him to do so.

Kojima, one of the gaming industry’s biggest stars, spoke in great detail about his upcoming projects in a Feb. 9 HideoTube episode. While much related to Death Stranding 2 was discussed, plenty was also said about Physint, the action-espionage title many suspected to be a potential Metal Gear Solid spiritual successor. These suspicions proved correct as Kojima said he’s making it to honor the wishes of his fans, who’ve been asking for a new Metal Gear game for over eight years. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain came out in 2015 and was the last game Kojima produced as part of Konami.

“In the last eight years, every day on social media, from users all around the world, people have been asking me to create another Metal Gear and stuff like that,” Kojima remarked. Konami did produce its own Metal Gear Survive after Kojima’s departure, though that game was met with harsh criticism and the Japanese corporation pulled out of AAA development for years before returning with remakes of Metal Gear games instead.

Kojima also spoke of a time when he was severely ill during the COVID-19 pandemic—so severely that he almost quit making games and even wrote a will. That time proved tumultuous for the director and though he recovered and was keen to create something new, he caved to his fans’ wishes, deciding instead to go back to his roots and produce something in the action-espionage genre that he is so renowned for.

“If the users desire it so much, I thought I should change my priorities a bit. I still want to do new things, but I decided to make an action-espionage game,” he explained. He also shared more information regarding the game’s blend of movies and gaming, saying “If your mother walks in and sees you playing this game, she’ll think you’re watching a movie.” He’s still unsure of the scope of the project, but his bold claims of “near-life-like graphics” have me holding my breath.

“I hope to never retire,” Hideo Kojima said and, at 60 years old, he is doing damn fine. I feel thankful to the director for his decision to give us, the fans, something to hold onto while he goes on to take gaming above and beyond.