Rumors have been swirling regarding Hideo Kojima coming out of E3 2021 and the Summer Game Fest, despite Kojima and his studio Kojima Productions not having an announcement or game ready this summer. That's largely due to Kojima fans being just that excited for whatever he's going to work on next, but underneath that are a number of more reliable reports. The latest example, best looked at as a rumor, for the time being, has Kojima finalizing a partnership with Xbox.

According to Jeff Grubb of GamesBeat, shared during Friday's GamesBeat Decides podcast, Kojima is currently working on putting together a partnership with Xbox for a game published by the company. That deal is not said to be complete, however, but it's described by Grubb as effectively complete except for some final details being hammered out. In Grubb's own words, "It's not going to not get signed." Further, Grubb says that he plans to share more details about the deal soon, insinuating he expects it to be concluded before long.

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Grubb brings Kojima's partnership with Xbox up as part of a different news story, however. It was recently reported that Xbox had hired Kim Swift, a game designer best known for their work on Portal and Left 4 Dead. Xbox hired Swift as their senior director of cloud gaming, as she most recently held a role with Google Stadia up until Google closed its game development down in early 2021. Grubb says that Swift has been hired by Xbox to work with Kojima on his next game, specifically.

While Grubb doesn't expand on the idea that Kojima will be working on a cloud game with Xbox, Kojima has previously spoken about the possibility. In 2019, he mentioned believing that games will move onto streaming services "within the next few years." Further, he said that he's "very interested in the new format" and that that's "what [he] wants to take on."

By all accounts, Kojima Productions' next game is still early in production. Any game, whether it be built with the cloud in mind or in partnership with Xbox, is likely years away from being announced publically, let alone released. That said, given the number of leaks surrounding Kojima's plans, it wouldn't be surprising to continue receiving reports on the project as its development moves forward.

Grubb's reporting, particularly surrounding Xbox at E3 2021, has been consistently reliable in 2021. That said, his statements on podcasts can leave room for misinterpretation. For example, his reporting on Starfield's release window left many confused. As such, it's best to consider a potential Kojima/Xbox partnership and Kim Swift's involvement a rumor until proven otherwise.

Hideo Kojima's next game is currently in development.

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