With historical context in mind, Hideo Kojima’s upcoming slate of games will probably look like a dream come true for most of his longtime fan-base. Following the famous creator’s split with Konami back in 2015, a robust lineup of future projects wasn’t always a given for the newly independent Kojima Productions, especially considering its founder’s other passions. Now, thanks to a mix of official news and unconfirmed rumors, it looks like games such as Death Stranding 2 and Project Overdose will be announced at some point in the future.
However, while there are undeniable benefits to Kojima Productions’ apparent slate of unannounced games, their existence would also spell bad news for one part of Kojima’s not too distant past. With an official partnership having been confirmed between the studio and Microsoft, and the aforementioned games seemingly in the works, it’s hard to imagine there being space for anything else, which means the dream of Kojima going back to PT and Silent Hills could essentially be over.
Kojima's Full Schedule
Even though Hideo Kojima recently popped up at Microsoft’s Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase to announce his partnership with the publisher, what the creator is actually working on remains a mystery. It’s therefore unsurprising that so many leaks and insider rumors have been doing the rounds online. It’s worth pointing out at this stage that, until official confirmation is provided, fans should take everything they hear with a grain of salt. Things can change suddenly, as evidenced this week by God of War: Ragnarok’s rumored release date announcement delay.
There is a growing sense online though that both Death Stranding 2 and Project Overdose are at least being weighed up behind the scenes by Kojima Productions. Between Norman Reedus’ repeated candid comments, and the leaked details and logo for the latter title, it looks like the studio currently has its hands full. It’s hard to imagine, for example, the actor not being told the name of the game he’s seemingly signed up for. Considering that Kojima Productions has only released Death Stranding since its inception in 2015, this apparent shift is a rather dramatic change for it.
With Kojima Productions working with Microsoft and Sony, two of the three major console manufacturers, it’s hard to imagine it having any other secret projects in the pipeline. From a pure logistical perspective, the studio will likely be too busy to work on PT or the game it once foreshadowed anytime soon. Based on the manner in which Hideo Kojima and Konami's messy public divorce played out, it was always unlikely that Silent Hills would ever be released. With each party involved having firmly moved on, that seems to now be even more true.
Overdose the Horror Successor
Even though details regarding Project Overdose are scarce and obviously unofficial at this stage, it appears as though the game won’t be quite the spiritual successor to PT that fans have been clamoring for. While the game that seemingly stars Margaret Qualley has been teased as a horror experience, it sounds like Kojima has gone back to the drawing board when it comes to the mechanics he wants to focus on. The reported ability to switch between a first and third-person perspective, for example, is a departure from what players loved about Silent Hills’ claustrophobic teaser.
If Overdose turns out to be the project that Kojima Productions is making for Microsoft, like many are theorizing, then there could be even more bad news for PT fans. Between reports of Kojima’s desire to utilize the publisher’s cloud-based technology, and rumors regarding the game’s episodic release format, there’s a sense that Overdose is going to be a radical departure from Konami’s iconic established series. The way that Kojima has spoken about his Microsoft project being the game he’s always wanted to create could be taken as a sign that it’s completely different from anything else he’s previously worked on.
Hope isn't completely lost for PT fans though, despite Kojima Productions' apparent decision to distance itself from the game. There’s been enough rumors regarding Konami’s own desire to resurrect Silent Hill, that it’s hard to imagine the publisher ignoring demand for much longer. Leaked images and details published online earlier this year, suggest that several projects are actively being explored along those lines. Hints within Overdose’s leaked logo, could also be a sign that Kojima will incorporate some of PT’s quirks into the unannounced game as well.
Death Stranding 2 is rumored to be in development.