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Sony has ended its partnership with Kojima Productions on the stealth-action title Physint, the spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid that was first revealed a decade ago alongside Death Stranding. Hideo Kojima confirmed he was notified of PlayStation's intent to cancel the project, and Xbox has since stepped in to take over development, marking a rare high-profile win for Sony's rival platform. Follow-up reporting indicates Sony's decision stemmed from concerns over missed deadlines, ballooning budgets, and questions about the project's long-term profitability and exclusivity value. Analysts have pointed to the Death Stranding franchise as a contributing factor, suggesting the series likely barely broke even despite its cult following, which may have made Sony wary of further heavy investment in Kojima's next big-budget venture amid its own ongoing PR pressures over console pricing and disc removal.