Konami officially closes Metal Gear Online studio

The studio formerly known as Kojima Productions Los Angeles is no more. Konami confirmed in a statement to Polygon that the satellite office, which worked on Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and led development on its Metal Gear Online multiplayer component, didn't fit with the company's new development strategy.

"Konami has made the decision to close its Los Angeles Studio, effective immediately, due to the product development resources being restructured into a more centralized unit," Konami said in the statement. "This facility contributed to the recent Metal Gear Solid games. Konami will continue its operations to support all Metal Gear Solid titles, including the recently launched Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Online. Metal Gear Online is still scheduled to release for PC Steam in January 2016."

The Los Angeles studio opened in 2013, intended to expand Konami's global presence and bring in Western talent to collaborate with Kojima Productions' Tokyo headquarters. Konami renamed the sister studios around the same time it scrubbed Kojima's name from The Phantom Pain's box and other promotional materials earlier this year. As far as we know, they haven't ripped out Kojima's cherry tree yet.

Though this is the first official confirmation that a former Kojima Productions studio is closing, Hideo Kojima reportedly left the company in October - even attending a farewell party in his honor. Konami maintains that he's just on vacation.

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