Report: Hideo Kojima has left Konami

Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear Solid series, has left Konami, according to a report from The New Yorker.

The New Yorker reports that Oct. 9 was Kojima's last day at Konami, citing an anonymous source who said they attended Kojima's farewell party that day at Kojima Productions, his game studio in Tokyo.

Kojima's relationship with Konami began to show strain in March, when the company announced a corporate restructuring that left Kojima's name off the list of directors. He also began hinting at his planned exit from the studio in a series of tweets, while publicly stating his intention to break ties with the Metal Gear series he created.

Konami canceled Kojima's collaboration with Guillermo del Toro, Silent Hills, in April, suggesting further conflict between the parties. Later, in July, Kojima Productions, the studio he founded in 1986, was reportedly disbanded.

Kojima's most recent project with Konami was Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, the final entry in the series. His name, along with his studio's, was removed from the game's box art and other promotional materials.

Following the well-received Metal Gear Solid 5's Sept. 1 launch, Kojima was the focus of a sentimental farewell video, bidding goodbye to the series he oversaw over its entire run.

We have reached out to a representative from Konami for an official confirmation of Kojima's reported departure, and will update with more as we receive it.

For more on the myriad events leading up to Kojima's exit from his longtime home, check out our StoryStream.