Konami Is Punishing Kojima and Other Ex-Employees for Leaving


Gaming juggernaut Konami is unhappy with Kojima and his fellow “ex-Kon’s,” and they’re showing it. Kojima and other ex-employees of Konami are feeling the pressure from their old employer.

Credit: Konami

One of the biggest headlines in the gaming world over the past few years was the split between Konami and resident game design genius, Hideo Kojima. It was a nasty breakup, and there is still a lot of tension between the two. The most recent development in the Kojima/Konami drama relates to Kojima’s snide commentary on the upcoming “Metal Gear Survive” in an interview. Konami sent Kojima a letter telling him that he was “unfairly discrediting the company.”

Rumors have arisen that Konami is withholding payments they owe Kojima because of this incident.

Credit: Konami

In addition to the payments, Konami has recently blocked Kojima Productions from joining ITS Kenpo, a healthcare organization that works primarily with the gaming and technology industries. Their approval to join depended on the decision of one chairman of the ITS Kenpo board, a chairman who happened to also be a director at Konami. Needless to say, Kojima productions was not approved- and they are now without company healthcare.

Credit: Konami

On top of that, Konami has a history of ruining the lives of their ex-employees, going so far as to prevent them from getting new jobs in the gaming industry or starting their own business ventures. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, and Konami is one of the biggest dogs out there.