Hideo Kojima first announced Death Stranding at E3 2016, yet the game didn't launch until over three years later in 2019. Since it's coming up on two years since Death Stranding launched, it seems like it's getting to be about the time for Kojima to pull the curtain back on his next gaming project, though it's been kept secret so far, with no reveals or announcements to date. However, there have been plenty of rumors about what Kojima could be working on next.
Hideo Kojima has not revealed his next game after Death Stranding at the time of this writing, but rumors may give fans a decent idea of what to expect. Whether or not these rumors pan out remain to be seen, but it's quite possible that more information will come to light sooner than expected. As a matter of fact, it may just be a matter of hours until Hideo Kojima fans get their first glimpse at the legendary game director's next project.
Here are all the rumors about Hideo Kojima's next game so far, though fans should take all of this information with a massive grain of salt for now.
Hideo Kojima Horror Game
Prior to working on Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima was working on two projects with Konami. One project was Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, the last main series installment in Kojima's acclaimed Metal Gear Solid series. The other project was Silent Hills, meant to be a reboot of Konami's popular survival-horror franchise. Kojima whet fans' appetites with the Silent Hills teaser PT, giving them an idea of what to expect from a Kojima-directed horror game. PT became an overnight sensation, with many fans praising it for its incredible ability to scare players and for its twisted storytelling.
Unfortunately, Konami canceled Silent Hills and PT was pulled from the PlayStation Store. To date, Kojima has never had the chance to make his horror game, going with Death Stranding as his first post-Konami game instead. Now that Death Stranding has been out for a couple of years now, Kojima has hinted that his next game will be a horror game, and he hopes it's one that will be "revolutionary" for the genre.
There have been rumors pointing to Kojima collaborating with Konami to finish his Silent Hills project, but that seems highly unlikely. However, that doesn't mean some aspects of that canceled project won't make it into Kojima's next game. Kojima was collaborating with famous horror manga artist Junji Ito on the Silent Hills game, and rumors suggest that the two may be working on this new game together as well, though Ito has somewhat pushed back against that notion.
Unconfirmed reports have said that Kojima has pitched his horror game concept to Sony for it to be a PlayStation console exclusive in the vein of Death Stranding, only for the company to apparently pass on it. There were also reports that Kojima's horror game would be episodic and come to Google Stadia, as opposed to a more traditional gaming platform, though Google itself has denied those claims.
While the rumors have some inconsistencies, there does seem to be a general consensus that Kojima's next game will be a horror game.
Xbox Exclusive
Kojima has been closely linked to the PlayStation brand since the first Metal Gear Solid game released on the PS1. Most of Kojima's games have been timed-exclusives for PlayStation, as was the case with Death Stranding. Considering the close relationship Kojima and Sony have shared over the years, many have assumed that his next game will also be a PlayStation exclusive. However, there's a chance that it could be an Xbox exclusive instead.
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has featured Kojima Productions mascot Ludens on his shelf while filming various videos, and insiders have suggested that Spencer's shelf is full of purposefully-placed items meant to tease the audience about future projects. This has led to a lot of speculation that Xbox is hinting that Kojima's next game will be an Xbox console exclusive, which would be quite the surprising announcement, to say the least.
Summer Game Fest Reveal
There are plenty of rumors about Kojima's next game, and they will only be put to rest once he finally reveals it to the public. It's hard to say when exactly that will be, as there have been conflicting reports. Some believe that Kojima's next game will be revealed during the Xbox/Bethesda joint press conference at E3 2021, while others believe that Kojima's new game won't be revealed at E3 at all.
Others still think that Kojima's new game will be announced as part of Summer Game Fest. Kojima and Summer Game Fest organizer Geoff Keighley have a well-documented relationship, with Kojima making numerous reveals at Keighley's Game Awards show over the years. Kojima will be involved with Summer Game Fest in some capacity, and that could very well mean that fans will get their first look at Kojima's next game during the Summer Game Fest kickoff presentation, which starts on at 11am PT on June 10.
Then again, it may be better for fans to keep their expectations in check. It's entirely possible that the Summer Game Fest and E3 festivities will go by with no sign of Kojima's new game, and if so, the waiting game will continue to see what's next from the legendary developer.