Tactical Merch Action: Hideo Kojima’s new Credit Card and Sake collab prove one thing – whatever madness he’s got planned will be even wilder

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I remember first playing Metal Gear Solid in 1998 and getting completely stuck trying to find Meryl’s Codec frequency. The game gives you a CD supposedly containing the frequency, but you couldn’t flip it over to see it! I wasted a ton of time until I accidentally discovered the answer was printed on the back of the actual game CD case. That’s when I realized Hideo Kojima was a true creative genius. That was just the beginning – the Psycho Mantis boss fight was legendary, and the Metal Gear Solid series, along with Death Stranding, is full of incredibly inventive ideas. Now, Kojima’s pushing boundaries even further with things like Hideo Kojima-branded credit cards and Kojima Productions’ own sake.

Kojima Productions’ 10th anniversary. A toast to creative freedom

Geoff Keighley announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Hideo Kojima is releasing a credit card in partnership with MUFG bank, and the news quickly spread like wildfire online. I’m not sure why everyone is so surprised, but I’ve come to expect unusual things from Kojima.

This card is being created in partnership with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) – the bank that previously funded Kojima Productions when it was first established. It will initially be released in Japan around the second half of 2026, and it doesn’t seem likely to be available internationally.

Customers will get rewards points for every purchase they make. These points can be redeemed for special Kojima Productions merchandise and potentially even items within the game – some of which might be exclusive. However, specific details about the program are still limited.

However, offering branded financial products isn’t completely unfamiliar to gaming companies. Sony and Microsoft have both released their own financial products in the past. Now, let’s talk about the other big announcement that came out yesterday.

Kojima Productions, the creators of popular games, have partnered with a historic sake brewery, Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, located in Suzuka, Japan. Together, they’ve produced a limited edition sake called ZAKU LUDENS, consisting of two high-quality bottles.

This sake was created to mark the 10th anniversary of the studio. It’s amazing to think it’s been ten years since Hideo Kojima left Konami. At the time, Konami seemed to be focusing more on mobile games and ways to make money from them, while Kojima was passionate about creating large-scale, cinematic games. In December 2015, he officially departed and founded Kojima Productions as an independent studio, which allowed him to create Death Stranding.

Honestly, I’m not sure why people are overthinking this. It seems pretty simple to me – Kojima is just marking a decade of being able to make exactly the games he wants, without anyone telling him what to do. I’m a huge fan and I completely trust his vision, so I’m happy to just relax and see what he comes up with!

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2025-09-24 17:02