Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Won’t Apologise to Sony Over Kojima’s Physint

The console war has a new talking point. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has made it clear she isn’t apologising to Sony over Physint, the next game from Metal Gear and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima, now that Microsoft has taken over publishing it.

“Happy Kojima chose Xbox”

According to Pirat_Nation on X, Sharma was asked whether she should apologise to Sony after the move. Her response was to laugh, and to say she was happy Kojima chose Xbox.

The question makes sense. Kojima has had a long, close relationship with PlayStation, from the Metal Gear Solid years to Death Stranding, which Sony published. Physint was first announced at a PlayStation showcase and was widely seen as a Sony project, so Microsoft taking over publishing is a big shift and a big win for Xbox.

PlayStation collaboration “still on the table”

Sharma didn’t frame it as an all-out war, though. She said that working with PlayStation is still on the table, even as both companies put more focus on exclusives. In her words:

“Competition and collaboration can coexist.”

That matches the direction Xbox has taken in recent years, putting several of its own games on PlayStation while still trying to land big names of its own. Sony is clearly doubling down on exclusives too, so the next few years could see both sides collaborating on some games while fighting hard over others.

What it means for players

• Xbox and PC players now have a Kojima game backed directly by Microsoft. That’s a strong addition to Xbox’s line-up and potentially to Game Pass.
• PlayStation players will want to know whether Physint ends up on PS5 at all. Sharma’s comments on collaboration leave that door open, but nothing here confirms it.
• For the industry, it’s a sign that star developers have real leverage and can pick the platform holder that offers the best deal.

Our take

Sharma’s laugh says a lot. Xbox has spent years being told it lacks must-have exclusives, and signing up one of gaming’s most famous creators is the kind of headline it has been chasing. Whether Physint lives up to the hype is another matter. Kojima’s games are famously ambitious, and famously take their time.

Are you happy to see Kojima working with Xbox, or should Physint have stayed on PlayStation? Let us know in the forums or vote in today’s lobby debate.

Source: Pirat_Nation on X.

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