Hideo Kojima is arguably a titan of the video game industry. Since launching his independent studio, Kojima Productions, in 2015, he has released one title and garnered mountains of attention. Known for the secrecy surrounding his projects and his puzzle-like cryptic rollouts, it is a shock that a potential clip of his upcoming project, Overdose, leaked in a strange video online.
Previous Leaks and Rumors
The fanbase around Hideo Kojima is no stranger to rumors and extensive claims of leaked information. In the last year alone, there have been conversations, arguments, and entire subreddits dedicated to some rumors and leaks. These have ranged from reviving dead projects like P.T. and Silent Hills to a Death Stranding sequel. One, in particular, is both unexpected and refreshing to delve into: an entirely new horror game tentatively titled Overdose.
In early June this year, freelance reporter Tom Henderson published an article on tryhardguides.com. In this, he claimed to have received footage of the game. This included Margaret Qualley (Mama in Death Stranding) roaming a decrepit hospital in a blue medical gown wielding a flashlight. A jump scare leads to a “Gameover” screen before the text “A Hideo Kojima Game… Overdose.”
Making a Horror Game
Death Stranding and the Metal Gear series have their fair share of horror elements. Still, no Kojima project was a fully realized horror game. P.T., or Playable Teaser, was a short demo experience to tease and announce Kojima’s take on the Silent Hill franchise, but that was infamously canceled and erased.
As to make the scariest horror game, I’ll watch the scary movies in order to awaken my horror soul. THE EYE is the Thai horror movie I rent when making PT but was too scary to finish watching. The package is scary so I rented the disc only. Will I be able to finish watching? pic.twitter.com/BVwPruUAvt
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) November 22, 2019
Nonetheless, Kojima took to Twitter in November 2019 to discuss his process of creating a horror game. This lit a proverbial fire beneath the gaming industry as fans and news sources picked this simple tweet apart. After a few years, this tweet slipped to the back of most minds until Henderson’s article.
Overdose by Kojima Video Leaks Online
After radio silence on the subject, the rumors about Overdose began to die down. Then, on November 4, 2022, a video leaked on streamable.com. Though it appears that this video was removed as of the time of this article, copies have been uploaded across countless social media and file-sharing platforms.
The video in question is taken by a phone of a monitor playing the same video Henderson described in his article. In the bottom left is a live woman appearing to be playing and reacting to the game. It also looks like she is responding to the prompts on the game screen by tapping her phone. As the video ends and the monitor screen cuts to black, the reflection of a shirtless man can be seen. “A Hideo Kojima Game… Overdose.”
Screenshot captured from leaked Overdose video.
It is still possible that this is part of an elaborate hoax with no real purpose but to troll video game fans. But the consistency and polish make that seem a little less likely. It is still unclear whether or not Overdose is the project that Kojima Productions is doing exclusively for Microsoft or if it has anything to do with the “Who am I?” and “Where am I?” teases he has been releasing. Surely there is a planned announcement, and all signs point toward The Game Awards on December 8, 2022.
