14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will be the final title the legendary designer Hideo Kojima will work on with current publisher Konami, apparently because of a widening set of problems between him and the leadership of the company.
Gamespot is quoting an inside source saying that at the moment the development team senior staff have restricted access to e-mails, phone and corporate sites and they will also be unable to make too many promotional appearances in service of the new title.
Apparently, Hideo Kojima and some of his closest collaborators are now only contractors and the understanding is that they will no longer be involved with Konami or the Metal Gear Solid franchise once the current project is done.
Contracts are currently set to end in December, but at the moment the focus is on making The Phantom Pain the best title it can possibly be in order to satisfy the fan community.
Rumors about problems between Konami and Hideo Kojima started appearing earlier in the day, when the publisher started to remove the official Kojima Productions logo from both art and sites associated with Metal Gear Solid V.
The publishing team has not offered any official information so far to confirm the long-term separation from Hideo Kojima.
An official statement only says, "Konami Digital Entertainment, including Mr. Kojima, will continue to develop and support Metal Gear products. Please look forward to future announcements."
Metal Gear Solid V will deliver an open world structure
The fact that Hideo Kojima will leave the company with which he has been associated for so many years will not be welcomed by the fan base of the franchise.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a very ambitious project and any dissent among the developers could have major repercussions on its quality.
The title aims to introduce an open world structure for the first time in the series, allowing gamers to move wherever they want in order to solve missions and push the story forward.
The game will also use a day and night cycle, extensive customizations and will give players more options when it comes to combat and stealth.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will arrive on the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4 and last-gen consoles on September 1 and on the PC on the 15th of the same month.
