Hideo Kojima has revealed that his upcoming horror title, OD, was met with considerable resistance from publishers, with every company he pitched deeming the concept "crazy." Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Kojima described OD as a "new game system" and a project he conceived during the development of the original Death Stranding. He stated that the game aims to be "something new" and "something different," offering an experience unlike anything seen before.
Kojima recounted pitching the concept to "big companies" and "up-and-coming companies," all of whom reportedly expressed confusion and disbelief, stating they "will not be able to do it." The project eventually received a green light at Xbox under the former leadership of Phil Spencer. Current Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma, has described OD as a "deeply moving game" and a representation of "another kind of game," highlighting Xbox's commitment to fostering diverse developer platforms. Sharma emphasized her goal of ensuring Xbox remains an "open" platform for developers of all types, potentially enabling future "Kojima-level" successes.
While the trailer for OD suggests a frightening experience, Kojima acknowledged that the game is intended to be "as scary as possible." However, he has also devised a system to accommodate players who may find the horror too intense, allowing them to continue playing without being excessively deterred. Details about this specific mechanic remain undisclosed to avoid revealing too much about the game's systems.
OD will feature a roster of notable actors, including Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and the late Udo Kier. In addition to OD, Kojima Productions is also working on the espionage game Physint for Sony.