Hideo Kojima Speaks on Mass Layoffs in the Gaming Industry

Key Takeaways

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The AAA gaming industry is oversaturated with unoriginal, expensive projects, leading to frequent studio closures and mass layoffs.
Hideo Kojima emphasized the importance of genuine innovation in the gaming industry and criticized some AAA franchises for lack of technical depth and research.
Kojima expressed disappointment with the approach of a major studio on a new stealth game, stating that those who create military games may not have practical knowledge about weapons.
Numerous companies across various sectors, including tech, fintech, e-commerce, media, and crypto, announced layoffs following Kojimas interview, highlighting broader industry challenges.

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Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear Solid, voiced his disappointment with the AAA gaming industry and praised the indie scene in a July 20, 2025, interview with Ssense, stating that the market is oversaturated with unoriginal, expensive projects. Kojima described the industry as one where studios frequently close or conduct mass layoffs while producing bloated blockbusters. He cited the Summer Games Fest 2025, noting that many games featured similar visuals and systems centered around fighting alien or medieval monsters. He acknowledged the popularity of these games but stressed the importance of genuine innovation.

The director also noted the lack of technical depth and research in some AAA franchises. Referring to Intellizences’s list of 4,286 companies that announced mass layoffs between January 1, 2025, and January 19, 2026, Kojima spoke about job cuts and layoffs on March 12, 2026. He recalled consulting for a major studio on a new stealth game and being disappointed by their approach. “Those who create military games probably don’t know how to disassemble or shoot a weapon,” Kojima said. “That’s a bit sad.” When Ssense asked if he knew how to disassemble a weapon, Kojima replied, “Yes, because I also did that training, and learned many ways to kill people as well” (via IGN Brasil). Following the interview, numerous companies across various sectors announced layoffs. These included: Salesforce (1,000 employees) The Washington Post (300 employees) Workday (400 employees) Angi (formerly HomeAdvisor, 350 employees) Western Digital Technologies (47 employees) Block, formerly Square Inc. (approximately 1,100 employees) SAP Tech (2.5% of staff in Germany) IBM Tech (1.5% of team in the USA) Cue Health Mojo Vision (75% of employees) Scale AI Coinbase (950 employees) Informatica Tech.

Layoffs Widely Spread Across Tech, Fintech, E-commerce, Media, and Crypto Industries – Kojima’s Concerns Over AAA Gaming Landscape Highlighted

Blend Tech Blackrock Financial Services Canfor Manufacturing (300 people in Canada) Loews Hotel Nikola Motor Company ShareChat Tech Wyre Financial Services Myntra Gemini The Washington Post (Ishaan Tharoor) Western Digital is planning additional layoffs with an unspecified number of job cuts. These tech layoffs continue in software development, fintech, e-commerce, media, real estate tech, and crypto. Kojima’s statements underscore his specific concerns about the AAA gaming landscape amidst broader industry challenges.

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