Hideo Kojima explains why he doesn’t want to pass the baton to anyone. „I would rather crush it”

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Hideo Kojima prefers to “hand over the torch symbolically” less than to let his successors take over, despite acknowledging the inexorable flow of time.

It’s quite simple to overlook it when seeing the renowned game developer at events or in pictures, but the creator of the Metal Gear series is now 62 years old. Over these years, Kojima has built a family and shared countless memorable and peculiar tales with the world. However, he could have easily chosen to relax on his past achievements.

Regardless, Hideo Kojima shows no signs of retiring at this point. Instead, he’s busy with a multitude of tasks, including developing the second Death Stranding and its movie version, as well as managing two additional projects – one for Sony and another for Microsoft. However, he acknowledges that his list of ideas may exceed the time available to him.

Memento Mori

There’s a chance the developer frequently remembers a particular phrase from his past, which he discussed in a GQ interview (as reported by Time Extension). In this interview, he talked about the health issue he encountered in 2020, during the pandemic.

In a state of loneliness and battling an eye issue that hampered his daily life and work, this renowned developer found himself questioning if he’d ever be able to create anything again. Eventually, he opted for surgery to address the problem, but was uncertain about his road to recovery. At one point, he shared a list of concepts he wished to pursue with his assistant – essentially, a summary of his creative aspirations in case things didn’t improve – which I’ll refer to as his “final wishes” for this context.

I jotted down all the ideas that came to me. Then I handed them over to my assistant, almost like a testament of sorts. […] I began to comprehend why some people might choose to take their own lives. It felt as though the world was coming to an end.

Working in his own studio has significantly transformed his approach to work, particularly when it comes to independent projects. Yet, this freedom doesn’t extend to the point where he can explore overly unconventional ideas due to concerns about potential low sales and the possible need to downsize his team of renowned staff. In his words now, “he aspires to pass away while still in the process of creating something.

Small flame of inspiration and “flops” at Konami

Regarding the question posed, the developer made it clear that he has no plans to delegate his role or designate a successor. In fact, his response was a hearty laugh as he declared that he’d rather destroy the symbolic baton than pass it on to Hideo Kojima.

Instead of wanting his accomplishments to fade away, Kojima prefers to kindle a small spark of inspiration in others, encouraging them to create their own original ideas instead of merely imitating what he and other developers have done.

Daily, when I share something on Twitter that resonates with me, creators such as directors, actors, or musicians often reach out to me. They express gratitude for my video games, saying they were inspired by them. However, it’s important to note that they are not the torchbearers of Hideo Kojima’s legacy; instead, they carry a smaller flame I’ve ignited. They aren’t trying to mimic or replace me; rather, they nurture their own creative spark and pass it on to others. As a child, I admired legendary comic book artists, but I didn’t follow in their footsteps; instead, their work fueled my creativity and influenced me.

According to the developer, trying to compulsorily imitate his path would likely lead Kojima Productions to financial ruin. In essence, Kojima doesn’t find it beneficial to have someone who copies him as a successor. Instead, he wants his work to serve as inspiration for future creators, not a blueprint they should follow.

It could be due to his previous instances where he was left unsupervised on projects, an issue he hinted at during his time at Konami. Unfortunately, he didn’t provide specific project names.

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2025-06-13 12:02