Junji Ito downplays comments on Kojima horror project talks: "it was a remark made at a party"

(Image credit: Konami)

Update: Horror mangaka Junji Ito is walking back recent comments he made indicating his involvement with a Hideo Kojima-lead horror project. 

In a tweet sent out Monday, Ito clarified that when he mentioned during a virtual Comic-Con panel that Kojima had "invited him to work on [a horror game]," he was referencing a hypothetical future title rather than an in-development game. Ito added that the brief talk was really just "a remark made at a party." Here's the full tweet as translated by ComicBook.

"In a recent overseas interview, I lightly said I received an offer to work with Hideo Kojima, but it was really a comment made at a party where he said, 'If there's a chance someday, I may ask you for help [on a future project].' I apologize to Director Kojima and anyone else who I gave false hope to."

Original story follows...

Hideo Kojima is working on a new horror game, and he wants prolific horror mangaka Junji Ito to help out. That's according to Ito himself, who briefly spoke on the matter in an interview during Comic-Con 2020.

"I do know director Kojima and we have been in conversation that he may have a horror-based game that he may be doing, and so he has invited me to work on that, but there are no details on it yet," Ito said, speaking through a translator (via ComicBook).

Sadly, nothing further was revealed about Kojima's new horror game, but thankfully the rumor mill's been healthily churning out plenty of material to speculate about. But first let's start with the facts. Ito is actually the artist Kojima originally wanted as a concept artist for PT, but the project was scrapped before he ever drew up a sketch. I'll leave that juicy tidbit to your imagination.

Talk of a Silent Hills revival gained traction in March, when reports surfaced claiming Sony was looking to mediate a reunion between Hideo Kojima and Konami in order to bring back Silent Hills. A few weeks later, we reported on a cryptic tease from another prominent horror mangaka, Suehiro Maruo, that suggested he was working on something Silent Hills related.

Sadly, Konami dismissed the rumors in an email to one of the sources, but said that they're "not closing the door on the franchise."

Until we know what Konami's cooking up, here are the best horror games to play alone in the dark (if you dare).

Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.