Microsoft is going through another big ‘reset’, which is a nice way of saying culling, as it reportedly prepares to cut major games and studios as part of reassessing its videogame investments. But amid all the carnage, Hideo Kojima’s OD is apparently unscathed.
According to IGN, a source familiar with Microsoft’s plans implied the upcoming horror game remains in the works at Kojima Productions alongside Xbox Publishing. This news comes as Microsoft says it’s “taking a fresh look at where we invest so we’re focusing on our highest priorities.” And honestly, I can’t say I’m surprised that OD qualifies as one.
Kojima carries quite a bit of weight around this industry, just ask Geoff Keighley, but OD doesn’t just feature his work—acclaimed director Jordan Peele is also reportedly collaborating with Kojima on this one. Add that to its star studded cast which includes the likes of Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and the late Udo Kier, and you get a game that’s considerably harder to axe.
The proof is also in the pudding—this isn’t the first time OD has escaped from harm. Almost exactly a year ago today, we saw unfortunately familiar circumstances play out when Microsoft laid off 9,000 employees, cancelling games like Everwild and the Perfect Dark reboot—just one moment in its year of shame. OD survived this as well.
Phil Spencer, former Xbox boss, signed the game, and his new replacement Asha Sharma has since shared her enthusiasm for the project: “I’ve got great artists and creatives that can pick a great game better than I can, and so I want to give it space, but most importantly, I think it just represents another kind of game.” Kojima has previously said (in a classic Kojima way) that he doesn’t even view OD as a game, instead being “a movie, but at the same time a new form of media.” Sure, why not?
We won’t know for sure whether OD is truly in the clear until Microsoft releases a definitive statement on the supposed upcoming layoffs, but if IGN’s source is to be believed, OD will once again survive and carry on its already three-year long development.
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