Hideo Kojima and Niantic Announce Ambitious AR Collaboration

At Beyond The Strand, the 10th anniversary celebration of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima surprised fans with a major announcement. Taking the stage alongside Niantic CEO John Hanke, Kojima revealed a new partnership that aims to bring his signature storytelling into the real world using Niantic’s cutting-edge geospatial AI technology.

Bringing Kojima’s Worlds to Life

If you’ve ever played Pokémon GO, you already know Niantic’s expertise in blending augmented reality (AR) with real-world locations. Over the years, Niantic has continued to push AR technology forward, and this new project seems like a natural evolution of their vision — perfectly suited for mobile devices.

The teaser showed a player interacting with digital objects overlaid onto the real world. One scene featured a character catching a glowing “seed,” marking a canvas in AR, and planting it to grow a tree — a quintessentially Kojima-style twist on interactive exploration.

Niantic’s Vision of a “Living World”

John Hanke explained that Niantic is “building a living model of the world that people and machines can talk to, creating a new canvas for real-world storytelling and interaction.” He expressed excitement about working with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS and emphasized the creative possibilities this collaboration could unlock for both new and longtime fans.

The Perfect Fit for Mobile Storytelling

Unlike a typical AR gimmick, this project feels like a bold new step for mobile experiences. KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS is known for its deep, cinematic narratives, though mobile has never been its primary platform. Last year’s Death Stranding: Director’s Cut did make its way to iPhone 15 Pro models, but that was limited to a relatively small segment of players.

Partnering with Niantic could change that. With Niantic’s expertise in building accessible AR experiences across a wide range of devices, this collaboration has the potential to reach a much broader audience and bring Kojima’s imaginative worlds into everyday life.

More details are expected soon — and with visuals this striking, fans have every reason to be excited for what’s next.