Fans were saddened at the discovery that "Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain" designer Hideo Kojima has been banned by Konami from attending the 2015 Game Awards and receive the two well-deserved awards.
According to The Verge, talks that Kojima had already left Konami have been swirling since "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" was released, even if Konami says that he was only on vacation. However, the incident at Game Awards night has shown that there must be a legal battle between Kojima and Konami.
Host and Game Awards producer Geoff Kneighly said that night, "Mr. Kojima had every intention of being with us tonight, but unfortunately he was informed by a lawyer representing Konami just recently that he would not be allowed to travel to tonight's award ceremony to accept any awards. He's still under an employment contract and it's disappointing."
Up to this point, no one could seem to tell what actually happened between Hideo Kojima and Konami. According to GameSpot, an unnamed source has revealed that as of Dec. 15, Kojima is no longer with Konami. Furthermore, Kojima reportedly had already parted ways with Konami in October but he was under a contract that stipulates a non-compete clause that expired in December. At that time, there have also been reports suggesting that there has been a power struggle between Konami and Kojima Productions.
And now that the said contract has expired, according to another report in GameSpot, Sony has released at video on YouTube that shows President of Sony Computer Entertainment Andrew House officially announcing "a new partnership with one of the most celebrated game developers in history." It has then been confirmed that Hideo Kojima will be working with Sony on a PlayStation-exclusive title. In addition to the recent announcement, Kojima himself has also revealed via Twitter that he is no longer connected with Konami.
