Skip to main content

Hideo Kojima’s name removed from box art for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

hideo kojimas name removed metal gear solid v box art black
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Yesterday we reported that Japanese voice actor and voice of Solid Snake Akio Otsuka had tweeted that Kojima Productions had been dissolved. While that claim still has not been verified by publisher Konami, yet another clue has been found that Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima’s relationship with the company is nearing its end.

Today a thread appeared on gaming forum NeoGAF showing that the box art for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain had been slightly altered. Specifically, all references to Kojima are now gone from the new box art.

Recommended Videos

Most notably the words “A Hideo Kojima Game” are no longer displayed above the title at the top of the box. The Kojima Productions logo is also no longer displayed at the bottom left of the box, next to the Fox Interactive logo.

This isn’t the first time this has happened with Metal Gear Solid V. Earlier this year, Kojima’s name was removed from branding related to the game, sparking rumors that he would be parting ways with Konami. So far there has been no official confirmation of this, but evidence has been stacking up.

In April, the Kojima Productions logo was removed from the website for Silent Hills. Later that month both the game’s co-director Guillermo del Toro and actor Norman Reedus said that the game was canceled, but Konami denied the rumors. On April 27, Konami pulled the plug on the game.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, on the other hand, is certainly not canceled. Last month we got a hands-on look at the game, and while the story surrounding its development may not be a happy one, the game itself is shaping up to be something special.

The latest game in the Metal Gear saga is set for a September 1 release, and while this is likely the final game from Kojima Productions, it seems that the studio will go out on a high note.

Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
Hideo Kojima NFT scare ends with physical collectible confirmation
Kojima's mascot, Luden's helmet close up.

With plenty of gaming companies going into the NFT market, fans are constantly on high alert to see which developer will embrace the controversial technology next. Yesterday, rumors that Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima was jumping into the non-fungible world blew up thanks to a tease from an NFT adjacent company, Anicorn. Turns out, it was all just for a physical collectible from Kojima Productions and Anicorn.

The original announcement led to a lot of concern among Hideo Kojima's fanbase. Anicorn makes physical products like watches but also creates NFTs. Because the first tweet teasing the collaboration was vague, replies to it were full of prayers that the project wouldn't be an NFT announcement or anything related to the metaverse.

Read more
How to open the Warden Vault in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Inside the Warden Vault in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

If you thought the puzzles in Dragon Age: The Veilguard were too easy, you haven't tackled The Warden Vault quest yet. Available in the Rivain Coast, The Warden Vault is a side quest, one of many incredible side quests, that has you figure out how to open the locked door to the Warden's Vault underneath a huge castle.

This puzzle requires you to solve three separate puzzles within the castle, but they are far from obvious. Without the right guidance, Rook and the party can easily get lost throughout this castle and not know how to unlock the Warden's Vault in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, so here's how to solve it.
How to unlock The Warden Vault side quest

Read more
The fastest ways to gain XP in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Kill Order gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Ever since Modern Warfare, Call of Duty fans have been obsessed with finding every tip and trick they can to level up faster. Now that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has arrived with a refreshed Prestige system, the drive to grind levels is again at an all-time high. While everything you do does earn you XP, they are not all created equal. Just like picking your Wildcards or Perks, earning XP as fast as possible takes a bit of thought and planning. If there's a piece of equipment you have your eye on at a high level, or just want to grind through some Prestige ranks as fast as possible, here are the fastest ways to grind XP in Black Ops 6.
Do your dailies

We'll get the most obvious tip out of the way first. Daily challenges are back and work just as they always have. Every 24 hours you will be given a handful of small optional tasks to complete for a heap of bonus XP. These can be things like getting Scorestreak kills, getting Point Blank Kills, and getting kills with a specific weapon type. Most daily challenges are worth 2,500 XP, which is already a nice bonus, but there is also a fourth one that can be worth between 3,000 and 5,000 additional XP. Each day you log on, you should prioritize your daily challenges.
Tailor your loadout and play the objective

Read more