Kojima Productions asked a reporter to delete a leak about its new game

After Tom Henderson of tryhardguides.com published an article reporting the existence of a new Hideo Kojima game in development under the title Overdose, he says Kojima Productions made contact, requesting he take it down (via Kotaku). Henderson declined. In conversation with Kotaku, Henderson said that the request came with an offer to work with him when they can share more, presumably once the game is ready to be officially announced.

Henderson’s report goes on to highlight details of the leaked footage he received from the game that apparently features Death Stranding actress Margaret Qualley. Henderson describes Qualley, who played the bespectacled Mama in Death Stranding, running through a dark hallway with a flashlight. There’s a jump scare, then the screen cuts to text that says “GAMEOVER”. Henderson later tweeted that his interaction with Kojima Productions wasn’t antagonistic and they were “very understanding all things considered.” The company has not yet issued a formal statement on the matter.

With this supposed leak, this is the second time a Hideo Kojima joint has been revealed before its time. Back in May, Norman Reedus, star of Death Stranding, appeared to confirm the existence of its sequel in an interview with Leo magazine.

“It takes a lot of work,” Reedus said of Death Stranding. “And then the game came out, and it just won all these awards, and it was a huge thing, so we just started part two of that.”

Both these leaks are coincidentally timed as Kojima’s best friend Geoff Keighley is about to start his not-quite-E3 event Summer Game Fest taking place June 9-12. Kojima is not scheduled to attend the event, and Keighley himself has urged fans to “manage their expectations” against big, surprise reveals. Then again, with Kojima’s quirkiness, one can never tell.