Hideo Kojima hits out at “sad” big budget shooter games

Hideo Kojima has hit out at “sad” blockbuster military games and claimed most AAA studios are playing things too safe.

Kojima popularised stealth games with the release of 1987’s Metal Gear and described his 2019 blockbuster Death Stranding as the first “Strand” game.

In a new interview with Ssense, the developer revealed that he has no interest in playing the upcoming remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, which will be published by Konami next month with no involvement from Kojima.

He went on to criticise the state of the AAA video game industry, saying that a majority of the titles showcased at this year’s Summer Games Fest were all similar. “Even the visuals and the systems are pretty much the same. A lot of people enjoy this, I understand, but it is important to put something really new in there for the industry. If there is no risk, there won’t be any good things that would be born.”

“People who are making military games, they probably don’t know how to dismantle a gun or shoot a gun. So that’s kind of sad,” Kojima continued, before being asked if he knows how to dismantle a gun. “Yes, because I’ve been doing this training as well and I learned so many ways to kill people as well.”

Earlier this year, Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On The Beach was released to critical acclaim and remains one of the best-reviewed games of 2025. In a five-star review, NME wrote: “Death Stranding 2 doesn’t take well to bingeing: it’s a slow-burning game that remains an acquired taste. But it’s far more accessible and fun to play this time around, with simply more entertainment between the quieter ‘walking simulator’ phases. For sheer creativity and daring in a blockbuster game, you owe it to yourself to check it out.”

Kojima has said he could make “endless” sequels to Death Stranding but is instead working on two new IPs. There’s action espionage game Physint and OD, a new horror title that’s being developed alongside Jordan Peele. There’s also the blockbuster Death Stranding movie adaptation that’s currently in the works at A24 and is due to his cinemas in 2027.

Last month, Kojima confirmed he won’t be directing the Death Stranding film. “It’s my baby [but] I’ll let them work on it without too much of my input, because that might get in their way.”

Meanwhile the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater remake is due to launch August 28 with developers refreshing “almost every facet” of the 2004 game.

In other news, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has denied accusations that Fortnite is “ruining” video games.