Konami has removed the Kojima Productions logo and “A Hideo Kojima Game” gracing at the top of the covers of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. The revised covers of Metal Gear Solid 5 was uploaded by Konami yesterday on their website with no reference to Kojima. This news will definitely hurt the feelings of some die-hard Kojima fans.

Kojima transformed the gaming industry by launching the original Metal Gear

The video game industry is a tough place and alliances are broken, just like in any other field. In 1987, Kojima transformed the stealth video game genre by launching the original Metal Gear, published by Konami. After that the Metal Gear franchise gained popularity under Kojima’s leadership.

It was been an attractive title for years now, but recent reports suggest that Kojima and Konami will part their ways after the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain in September. The recent covers of the game have added fuel to this rumor as we cannot see any Kojima logo.

Jay Boor, Konami’s PR Director earlier said in a public letter, “We have nurtured them with care over many years since their inception, and will continue to produce products for both franchises, but we are not currently at a stage where we can announce the path these future titles will take.”

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain covers will no longer have Kojima branding, but the game will be released in time for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 and PS3 on September 1 and the PC version will be released on September 15. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, the introductory chapter is now available worldwide on gaming consoles and PC’s to offer a small taste of the game.