Hideo Kojima Has Officially Left Konami

The rumors are true: Hideo Kojima is no longer a part of Konami.

If you’ve been keeping score at home with the goings-on at Konami, you’d know that legendary developer Hideo Kojima is reportedly going through a somewhat messy divorce with the studio. Well i’m afraid the rumors are true, as today, the New Yorker has confirmed that Kojima left the Konami offices for the last time on October 9.

According to the New Yorker’s source, a farewell party of around a hundred or so guests was held for Kojima on his last day, although Konami’s president, Hideki Hayakawa, and its C.E.O., Sadaaki Kaneyoshi, were notably absent. He had been with the company since 1986, and his departure leaves the fate of his Konami-owned studio: Kojima Productions, uncertain.

As for what’s next for Kojima, has has reportedly signed a non-compete clause that lasts through till December, so we likely won’t hear very much from him until then. Here’s hoping he finds a way to revive that Silent Hills project…

Kojima’s latest release, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain brought in a whopping $79 million for Konami on it’s launch day, but the company seems adamant to abandon as much of the traditional video game market as possible, and instead make the shift to mobile, and pachinko games.

Source: The New Yorker