Blue Box Game Studios’ upcoming project, Abandoned, has managed to stir up quite the controversy since its announcement. Fans have noticed a number of apparent allusions to the Silent Hill franchise, leading some to believe the game is nothing more than a ruse to disguise Hideo Kojima’s next project. Blue Box Game Studios, however, has denied these suggestions throughout the development of Abandoned, leading to many second-guessing the Silent Hill theories.
Others, however, have continued to search for evidence of a correlation between the two projects. Quite the community of Abandoned conspiracy theorists has emerged since its announcement. In particular, the announcement of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain has given many fans confidence that Abandoned is actually the long-awaited revival of the Silent Hill franchise. The Phantom Pain could explain why Abandoned conspiracy theorists have been convinced of Abandoned's ties to Silent Hill.
Why Are Silent Hill Fans Watching Abandoned Closely?
After initially claiming to have no ties to Hideo Kojima or Silent Hill, Blue Box Game Studios later teased that Abandoned might not be the game’s actual name. Instead, the actual name starts with an S and ends with an L, which conveniently would fit the narrative that Abandoned is a Silent Hill game.
It seems odd that Blue Box Game Studios wouldn’t have made that correlation before it put out the tweet, especially after acknowledging and dismissing Silent Hill fans' conspiracy theories surrounding Abandoned. Blue Box Game Studios quickly issued a correction, stating that they have no ties to Konami, Silent Hill, or Hideo Kojima. This did very little to calm the masses, however, who had spotted some interesting details in the game’s trailer.
For starters, in what is one of the more convincing elements of the theory, there is no trademark for Blue Box Game Studios, despite claims that there are in an Abandoned trailer. This isn’t all that the theorists found, as the trailer includes an apparent reference to abandoned 2014 project P.T., which was ultimately revealed to be Silent Hills. It must be said that the backing behind this part of the theory is fairly weak. At around 49 seconds on Abandoned’s announcement trailer, a brick wall tagged with ‘KILL THE TRESPASSER' is shown, but a tree partially covers this. The two letters the tree covers are a P and a T, so P.T. or T.P. depending on how the theorist looks at it.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain’s Announcement
Theories surrounding Abandoned actually being Silent Hill aren’t entirely unfounded, as Hideo Kojima has a history of misdirection. Specifically, Hideo Kojima was in full conspiracy mode for the announcement of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. The Phantom Pain was not teased by Konami or Kojima; instead it was announced by Moby Dick Studio, and the game was announced simply as The Phantom Pain. With this additional context, it makes a bit more sense why fans were convinced by the S and L tease. Abandoned may well have actually been Silent Hill: Abandoned. Of course, this is still quite a stretch, and the theory still has many doubters.
Another way in which Hideo Kojima tricked Metal Gear Solid fans was through the name of Moby Dick Studio’s founder, Joakim Mogren. Mogren appeared in interviews with a completely bandaged face, explaining that he had an accident but he should be okay by GDC. It was at GDC that all was revealed, The Phantom Pain was actually Metal Gear Solid 5, and Joakim Mogren was an anagram for Hideo Kojima.
In Abandoned, fans have been clinging to the idea that Blue Box Game Studios’ CEO Hasan Kahraman is merely a front for Kojima. Fans believe this as Hideo translated from Japanese to Turkish is Kahraman. However, Hasan Kahraman has maintained that his name is genuinely Hasan Kahraman.
Overall, it still isn’t entirely clear whether or not Abandoned is a front for a new Silent Hill game. There have been plenty of apparent hints towards a repeat of MGS5’s announcement, but equally, there has been adamant refusal from Blue Box Studios and affiliated parties. For the time being, it's safe to assume that Abandoned is actually its own unique game, separate from the Silent Hill franchise. When the next update on Abandoned will arrive is, for now, unknown, leaving fans in the dark.
Abandoned is currently in development for PC and PS5.