Konami bans Hideo Kojima from Game Awards

Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima was banned from attending The Game Awards 2015 ceremony to accept any awards for mh:awesomegames:Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, host Geoff Keighley has revealed.

“As you noticed Hideo Kojima is not here with us tonight and I want to tell you a little bit about that,” explained Keighley. “Mr. Kojima had every intention of being with us tonight but unfortunately he was informed by a lawyer representing Konami just recently that he would not be allowed to travel to tonight’s awards ceremony to accept any awards, He’s still under an employment contract and it’s disappointing, and it’s inconceivable to me that an artist like Hideo would not be allowed to come here and celebrate with his peers and his fellow teammates.”

Metal Gear Solid V had won best action/adventure game during the show. The award was accepted on behalf of Kojima and the Kojima Productions team by Kiefer Sutherland, the voice of Big Boss/Punished Snake in MGSV.

It was reported in October that Hideo Kojima had finally parted ways with Konami after a long-running saga between the two and made his own company, Kojima Productions, and his first game is Death Stranding. Konami somehow officially denied Kojima had left, insisting Kojima remained listed as a company employee.