If you’ve been following our coverage of the completely strange and somewhat depressing situation between publisher Konami, longtime employee Hideo Kojima, and his Kojima Productions studio, you’ll be sad to hear of yet another blow against Kojima and crew.
We’ve learned (via Eurogamer) from sources familiar with the situation that Konami has shut down the Kojima Productions Los Angeles studio, effectively laying off approximately 35 developers.
Eurogamer is confirming via their own sources that at least 20 jobs have been lost in the process, but it’s worth mentioning that at its peak Konami’s LA studio had between 50 to 60 people employed. First they were helping develop Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, later they developed its online multiplayer component, Metal Gear Online.
Back in March, the studio resurfaced as Konami Los Angeles Studio, a move that mirrored the corporate rebranding that effectively removed Kojima Productions and Hideo Kojima’s name from various IPs, including Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
It remains to be seen what this means for Metal Gear Online, which has yet to even launch for PC owners of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. We’ve reached out to Konami for a comment.
While all sources point to Hideo Kojima no longer being with Konami and Kojima Productions being shuttered, Konami is still sticking to their story: the creator and his team are on “vacation.”
SiliconNooB
November 3, 2015 at 7:33 amKonami is putting them on extended “holiday” – just like Kojima!
Muscle Wizard
November 3, 2015 at 7:37 amSoon enough, Konami will be on “vacation”!
Karo
November 3, 2015 at 7:41 amRIP
King of Bros
November 3, 2015 at 7:55 amAnd did you leave me anything
You are the phantom of my past
Do you expect me to last?
tetrisdork
November 3, 2015 at 7:57 amJust sell the IP. I’m sure that the new owners would allow you to use them for mobile and pachinko for cheap.
tccboss
November 3, 2015 at 8:19 amSo looks like MGO3 is finished then huh?
Rautaputki
November 3, 2015 at 8:43 amEh, Konami? Weren’t they some kind of a computer and video game publisher in 80s and 90s? ;^)
Go D. Usopp
November 3, 2015 at 8:45 amIt’s a good thing I’ve yet to start Metal Gear then, now I can just buy the whole series used and not support Konami at all
Muten
November 3, 2015 at 8:46 amSo they are only going to fulton S++ employees? the rest, blast arm to the face.
a posing fedora
November 3, 2015 at 9:27 amI hope this somehow means we PC players will not get MGO, the backlash would be glorious.
Evil_Jesus
November 3, 2015 at 9:54 amAnd on the heels of this, news of Konami gearing up for another “large scale” Metal Gear Solid?
Offendatron_5000
November 3, 2015 at 10:12 amThis is getting so bad, I think Konami even being bought out by EA may be a better outcome than the current trend for this company.
Derek
November 3, 2015 at 10:17 amThey got other pfofitable businesses. Enjoy your shitty future of panty quests and mediocre shovelware.
Nagato
November 3, 2015 at 10:18 amWhy were they still there? Just to suffer?
NuclearCherries
November 3, 2015 at 11:07 amKonami are clearly retarded.
A shame too, since they have some IPs that I just adore, such as castlevania. 1999 will never come now.
Maiq TheLiar
November 3, 2015 at 11:34 amPanty quests? I’m down.
Audie Bakerson
November 3, 2015 at 12:06 pmclearly Konami was triggered by their incorrect use of “clips” in the UI when the single player didn’t have that mistake.
Kamille Bidan
November 3, 2015 at 4:01 pmLooks like Konami played us all like a damned fiddle
Carl_Ed
November 3, 2015 at 4:18 pmI don’t recall ever encountering a panty quest in a Konami game. Maybe the future isn’t quite so dark after all.
Derek
November 3, 2015 at 8:47 pmI mean to for the industry as a Whole. Konami is gonna keep profitimg off fitness and gambling and card games. Meanwhile the only company continuing to localize are the mediocre ones
anon9370
November 4, 2015 at 1:14 amNever say that. I’d rather have every Konami franchise wiped from the face of gaming history than to see them transform into diverse celebrations of transracial Jewish Black genderfluid otherkins on a quest to teach the male cis scum to check their privilege.