Death Stranding Gamers Split on Hideo Kojima Matrix Game Reveal

It turns out that we almost got a Matrix game directed by Hideo Kojima, and I can’t believe it.

There’s no denying that the Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding games have been some of the weirdest, most creative games of our time, and that’s largely down to Hideo Kojima’s direction.

Although he was stuck in the middle of developing Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty in 1999, it turns out that Kojima was actually considered to lead a Matrix game in 1999, not long after the release of the first film.

As reported by Time Extension, it’s said that the Wachowski sisters approached Konami after releasing The Matrix in 1999 with the intention of asking Kojima to direct a game based on the film.

However, these plans were squashed, apparently due to an unspecified Konami executive turning down the sisters’ offer.

It was believed that Kojima was involved in these discussions before they broke down, but the developer stated earlier this week that this was news to him.

“I was surprised to see on social media that the Wachowski sisters had ‘offered me a Matrix game project!’ back in 1999,” Kojima wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “In all these 26 years, no one ever told me such a conversation had taken place.”

He went on to explain that he and the Wachowskis were “mutual fans and exchanged emails”, and that he met them several times when they came to promote the film in Japan. Despite this, he was never made aware of any offer.

“At that time, I was already extremely busy with MGS2 and probably couldn’t have accepted the offer right away,” Kojima then explains. “But if someone had told me, maybe there could’ve been a way to make it work.”

It’s a shame that these plans fell through, because a Kojima-directed Matrix game sounds like it could have been incredible. And it seems fans are divided on this news.

“That's gotta sting lol, a Matrix game absolutely seems like it'd be something up Kojima's alley, and he definitely seemed slightly disappointed based on the post,” wrote one fan on Reddit. “But... at the same time, I'm kinda glad. The game would've been fascinating, but if he was developing MGS2 when the offer came in, there's a chance he would've moved straight on to the Matrix project and we may never have gotten MGS3, or maybe gotten something significantly different.”

“It isn't too late, it's not like The Matrix has gone anywhere,” wrote another. “Have your agent contact the Wachowskis. Kojima likes money, they like money, Warner Brothers likes money. The Matrix remains popular, just be sure to set some terms that the sequel isn't included.”

In many ways, it feels like the whole vibe of The Wachowskis matches with Kojima's style, and perhaps it would have been a match made in heaven. Alas, it was not meant to be.

As we all know, several Matrix games were eventually made in the early 2000s. Enter The Matrix was a canon game that explored the characters of Niobe and Ghost alongside the events of The Matrix Reloaded.

Later came The Matrix: Path of Neo, which retold the events of the trilogy with new playable sections and an alternative ending. And then we got The Matrix Online after that, which is still one of the best MMOs I've ever played.