The legendary game designer Hideo Kojima, who gave us Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, dropped a truth bomb on gamers. He was asked about making a Call of Duty game, and after considering the matter for a moment, he simply said: “It’s not for me. I don’t need to do that.” A very Kojima response, if you ask me.
There was a tweet from Dexerto that caused such a stir. Good guys were respecting Kojima’s artistic integrity, while the other side had hilarious grounds for why he’d never go into a mainstream military shooter. One aptly named user, FL∆CKØ, wrote: “Bro said ‘I make mind-bending cinema, not Mountain Dew commercials.'” Indeed, that is absolutely the truth. Kojima’s games have endlessly pursued the realm of deep narrative, weird sci-fi, and philosophical musings far more than the run-and-gun action.
But what kind of mind would think of asking him to do a COD clone? It’s like asking Christopher Nolan to make a Fast & Furious movie. As Stoney stated, “Always respect someone who can turn down an easy cash grab to keep integrity in their work.” Kojima’s history declares that his main concerns lie with creative vision—whether that is hiding away with a cardboard box for two decades, or crossing the United States with a few packages to deliver in post-apocalyptic America.
Then, you have players like OnecaresDen who come from a different viewpoint, calling Kojima’s work “barely interactive movies.” But hey, isn’t that the whole point? His style is not about mindless shooting-it’s about making players think, even if that means sitting through hours of cutscenes. Let’s be honest, if Kojima did make a shooter, the gun would turn into a metaphor for capitalism halfway through.
The argument shed some light on what the future of FPS might look like. “FPS market is oversaturated anyway,” remarked Ormsbee, which is a… fair point. Do we really need another militia shooter beside COD, Battlefield, and a dozen live-service clones? StasStriker provided the proper response: “We don’t need another Call of Duty; what we need is some creative risk-taking.” And Kojima? Risk-taking is his stock-in-trade.
One way or another Kojima’s stance puts many opinions at odds. Some jokingly suggested he should make a shooter “where, when you lose, the game deletes itself from your hard drive” (credit to Darkme Son). Others, like EveryPostHits, trashed his storytelling style: “He’s above shoot first ask later… he’s more shoot once then spend 4 hours reflecting on what it meant.” Truth.
That way, Kojima firmly saying “No” to the COD bandwagon is a reminder that the medium needs auteurs as much as it needs blockbusters. According to Austin Graham, “Sounds like Kojima has his own unique vision, sticking to what he loves.” And frankly? That is where we stand. Kojima is Kojima—and that’s why his games stand apart, whether he’s unspooling surreal espionage or Norman Reedus walking sims.
So there’s almost no chance for “Call of Duty: Tactical Espionage Action.” But do keep your eyes open for anything tacked next. Because the one thing we know about Kojima is that he is never going to play it safe. And honestly, the game’s happier for it.
