Hideo Kojima assures Kojima Productions is still independent after tweeting PlayStation Studios logo

Kojima rebuffs the PlayStation rumors

A theory running around got a little traction last night, before being put down by Kojima himself. Following up a previous tweet, Hideo Kojima assured followers that Kojima Productions is still an independent studio.

For context, some folks have been speculating that Kojima Productions could be next in line for a Sony acquisition. PlayStation has been picking up studios, from Housemarque to Bungie. And a recent refresh of the PlayStation Studios banner, as spotted by ResetEra, fanned the flames.

So last night, when Kojima tweeted the PlayStation Studios logo—with Death Stranding now part of it—without context, speculation kicked into gear.

In a follow-up tweet not long after, Kojima clarified. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, but Kojima Productions has been and will continue to be an independent studio,” he wrote on Twitter.

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, but KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS has been and will continue to be an independent studio. https://t.co/2M0n4ogRaa

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) April 15, 2022

Stranding alone

Though Kojima Productions has had a good relationship with Sony thus far, with its debut title being a PlayStation console exclusive, it looks like nothing major’s shifted. It is pretty funny to see a context-less tweet rile up the speculation machine, though.

Acquisitions have been on the rise, with some major moves like Sony nabbing Bungie and Microsoft going for Activision Blizzard. Even outside the console manufacturers, others are picking up smaller studios and bringing them in. Publishers seem keen on building up their studio presence.

Kojima, meanwhile, remains independent. The word, according to GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb, is that Kojima Productions could be collaborating with Xbox. That doesn’t rule out a potential move down the line; just look at Bethesda’s situation with Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo for that. But Kojima has assured that at least for now, the studio will remain independent.

Honestly, I’m more interested in seeing what hallway Kojima Productions concocts for its next studio. What could possibly top the Ludens hallway?