Kojima’s Horror Game Attracted Interest Only from Xbox, Other Companies Struggled to Grasp the Concept

Hideo Kojima, the mastermind behind Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, has been hard at work on a horror game titled OD for Xbox over the past few years. While we’ve seen a trailer and received some hints, details about the game remain scarce. In a recent interview, Kojima revealed that Xbox is the only platform that showed interest in his unique vision.

During a conversation with an outlet for Xbox’s 25th anniversary, Kojima expressed his desire to create something “new” and “different” with OD. He mentioned that he has been developing the concept since around the same time he began working on Death Stranding. According to him, OD will introduce a “new game system” that players have never encountered before. His innovative ideas were initially met with skepticism, as many publishers and game companies deemed them too unconventional. It wasn’t until he pitched the concept to Xbox and its former head, Phil Spencer, that he found a receptive audience.

“I pitched to many people, to the big companies, and also to the up-and-coming companies,” Kojima shared. “All of them said the same thing. They said that I’m crazy, and that they really don’t understand the concept—that they will not be able to do it.” However, Spencer understood his vision and signed the game for Xbox. New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma also expressed her enthusiasm, describing OD as a “deeply moving game.” It looks like Kojima has solid backing from Xbox as he and his team continue to develop OD.

Kojima aims to push the boundaries of horror in gaming, stating, “I wanted to go beyond the limit of the ‘scariness’ that other games had reached.” Interestingly, he has devised a system to assist players who might find the game too frightening to continue.

“It’s a single-player game, and I wanted to make it as scary as possible. But for those that might stop playing when it gets too scary, I have thought of a system that will allow them to keep going. I can’t say much more, because it’ll give too much of a hint on the system, and I could get in trouble for saying too much!”

As of now, OD does not have a release date. The game features performances from Sophia Lillis and Hunter Schafer, with involvement from Jordan Peele, the director known for Nope and Us.