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Konami restructures its development teams, isn't dropping out of video games

Konami restructures its development teams, isn't dropping out of video games

Japanese publishing giant Konami has made a number of changes to its games production business.

In a release on its corporate site earlier this month, the company said it was dissolving its three production divisions – the snappily named Production Division 1, Production Division 2 and Production Division 3. A number of top staff from these companies have been moved to Production Departments, as of February 1st, 2021. There seems to be at least three of these.

"The announcement made refers to an internal restructure, with Production Divisions being consolidated," Konami said in a statement to Kotaku.

"We have not shut down our video gaming division.”

Konami historically has been behind a wealth of iconic games IP, including Metal Gear, the Silent Hill horror series, Castlevania and Pro Evolution Soccer... sorry, eFootball PES.

Since 2015, the company hasn't really done a lot with these properties. Development icon Hideo Kojima departed the firm that year to set up a new studio with Sony Interactive Entertainment's backing. Konami has tried to work on the developer's Metal Gear franchise – with 2019's critically panned Metal Gear Survive – and also cancelled the in-development Silent Hills title.

Konami is making huge bucks from its mobile portfolio, including Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links.


PCGamesInsider Contributing Editor

Alex Calvin is a freelance journalist who writes about the business of games. He started out at UK trade paper MCV in 2013 and left as deputy editor over three years later. In June 2017, he joined Steel Media as the editor for new site PCGamesInsider.biz. In October 2019 he left this full-time position at the company but still contributes to the site on a daily basis. He has also written for GamesIndustry.biz, VGC, Games London, The Observer/Guardian and Esquire UK.