Physint: Everything We Know

‘Physint.' Strange name, eh? It's unsurprising coming from Hideo Kojima himself. In fact, the renowned developer and force behind only the best action-espionage game of all time, the Metal Gear Solid series, makes the announcement all the more exciting. We're expecting a lot from Kojima Productions, including a new IP OD, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and even an upcoming Death Stranding film. So, how come they're already working on a new project? 

Well, first, Physint is still a ‘working title' and hasn’t yet begun development. Nonetheless, many are already raving about how it's Kojima's big return to action espionage, a spiritual heir to Metal Gear Solid, and might be the game that ushers in the highly anticipated PlayStation 6 era. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. To catch you up to speed, here’s everything we know about the upcoming Physint.

What is Physint?

Physint, whatever the name means, is a working title for an upcoming action espionage game by iconic Hideo Kojima in collaboration with Sony. While developers often announce a game a little closer to launch, Kojima has chosen to build up hype years ahead of development. And, to put the time frame in perspective, he says Physint’s development will only begin post-Death Stranding 2’s launch, which is expected to hit stores in 2025. So, the game will launch much later than that. Consequently, we know very little about the game’s story, gameplay, etc. We’ve compiled scraps here and there, though.

Story

Physint will be Kojima’s return to the action-espionage genre. So, perhaps expect a story similar to Metal Gear Solid but also entirely new. Kojima stresses that Physint will be a “brand new, original IP” and will likely feature a story utterly independent of MGS. When asked if he could reveal more information about Physint, Kojima went on to explain that Physint will be an interactive game. Players will possibly make in-game decisions that directly affect story outcomes. 

He goes on to add that the game “is also a movie at the same time.” It’s no secret that Kojima has piqued an interest in movies. With his typical visionary mind, one can only imagine just how grand he intends to intertwine gaming and movies. Who knows? You may find yourself paying for a movie ticket at the cinema to discover Physint’s true ending. Kojima continues to add that Physint will “transcend the barriers between film and video games in terms of look, story, theme, cast, acting, fashion, and sound.” Great stuff, indeed!

Gameplay

Physint will likely be a Metal Gear-esque stealth game. According to Kojima, it’ll be a “next-generation action-espionage game” that’s interactive. It’ll also transcend the barrier between movies and games. Other than that, we know very little about the gameplay. 

If we’re to speculate, though, from the game’s working title, ‘physint,’ it sounds like a short form for ‘physical intelligence.’ It’s not too far-fetched, especially with Kojima having used a similar short form for the character Sigint in Metal Gear Solid for Signal Intelligence. Players may gather information by sneaking in and out of facilities. 

Alternatively, physical intelligence has other meanings, specifically the ability of robots to relate to the physical world. AI is a booming conversation that Kojima may adapt to the new game from his own perspective. Or, Physint may be a completely made-up word that means something totally different. Who knows? 

What’s clear is Physint’s spiritual succession from Metal Gear Solid, which was first released in 1987. In the announcement, Kojima says Physint will be the culmination of his work. So, he may pay tribute to Metal Gear in the new game. 

When Kojima and Konami fell out, the series came to an end, and Kojima moved on to start his own development studio, Kojima Productions. Many fans, though, have been eagerly anticipating Kojima’s return to action-espionage. Either way, we can’t wait to see what Kojima’s bold vision for the new project will be.

Development

In Kojima’s own words, Physint’s development will “begin in earnest at Kojima Productions after Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.” While we don’t have an exact release date for the sequel, knowing Kojima’s reputation for perfectionism, we can only speculate. We do know for sure that the sequel is expected to hit stores sometime in 2025. Consequently, if production on Physint starts soon after, we could be holding our breath for quite a couple of years, possibly toward the latter years of the 2020s. 

As we know, the PlayStation 6 is expected to be released around 2026. So, it’s not far-fetched to imagine playing Physint on the new console, especially with Kojima’s collaboration on the project with Sony. Sony adds that “we will fully support you with the latest innovation Sony has to offer. More details to come.” 

Release date expectations aside, Kojima says they plan to bring the big guns onto the project. Specifically, he says, “We plan to bring together cutting-edge technology and talent from around the world to create it.”

Trailer

Feel free to check out Kojima Productions Physint's first announcement at PlayStation’s 2024 State of Play event. While many details remain scarce, it does ignite high expectations for the upcoming game’s eventual launch.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Kojima Productions currently has its hands full with yet-to-be-released games and an upcoming movie. With Kojima confirming that Physint will only start production after Death Stranding 2’s release, we could be looking at a 2026 release window, likely much later. 

We don’t know the specific platforms or editions to expect. It’s too early to speculate. Yet, since Kojima is collaborating with Sony on the project, we can be certain it’ll make its way to PlayStation. It’s possible Physint will launch on the PlayStation 6 or PlayStation 5. We’ll see.

Be sure to keep track of updates via the official social handle here. We’ll also keep our eyes peeled for new information and let you know as soon as it comes up. 

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Physint when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.