PlayStation drops Kojima: Physint moves to Xbox, with *Death Stranding 2* sales the prime suspect.

p>In our previous report on *Death Stranding 2*, we discussed the "Color"-themed photo mode and the photo of Kojima with Don Lee that sent fans into a frenzy.Ten days later, the atmosphere surrounding the game has shifted significantly.

On September 10, Sony announced it was abandoning its collaboration with Kojima Productions on *Physint*—the next-gen action-espionage project Hideo Kojima has been developing since 2022. Xbox has stepped in to take over, securing the project's film and television rights in the process.

According to various analysts, the suspicion is that the sales figures for *Death Stranding 2* lie behind this decision. Alinea Analytics estimates sales of approximately 2.5 million copies across PS5 (1.8 million) and Steam (700,000), generating total revenue of around $170 million.The original *Death Stranding* had already surpassed 5 million copies sold by March 2021 and reached over 20 million players by March 2025. With the sequel's production budget estimated at around $200 million, that gap is significant.

Then there is the issue of rights: both *Death Stranding* titles launched as timed exclusives for PlayStation before eventually arriving on other platforms, with Kojima Productions retaining ownership of the franchise.Sony saw the game generate revenue outside of its own ecosystem as well.

Given the delays already incurred and a ballooning budget, Physint likely no longer seemed like a risk worth taking by that point.