Konami Confirms Kojima Productions Los Angeles Studio Closure

The bitter feud between Konami and Hideo Kojima is still shrouded in mystery although it’s now official that both sides have gone their separate ways. Back in 2013, Kojima Productions L.A was setup to create Metal Gear Solid V and embarked on an extensive recruitment campaign. On release, the game received widespread critical acclaim and is often described as a ‘masterpiece’. Sadly, Konami confirmed, the studio which created this wonderful piece has been permanently closed. In an e-mail to Polygon, the statement reads:

“Konami has made the decision to close its Los Angeles Studio, effective immediately, due to the product development resources being restructured into a more centralized unit,”  

“This facility contributed to the recent Metal Gear Solid games. Konami will continue its operations to support all Metal Gear Solid titles, including the recently launched Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Online. Metal Gear Online is still scheduled to release for PC Steam in January 2016.”

This is a crying shame and provides closure on the relationship between Konami and Hideo Kojima. Perhaps, Konami feels they can create another Metal Gear Solid, but this massively depends on investment and operating funds. However, it doesn’t seem right to produce a sequel without the visionary direction of Hideo Kojima.