Hideo Kojima, a prominent figure in the gaming industry famous for titles such as Metal Gear and Death Stranding, was scheduled to deliver the keynote address at this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC). Unfortunately, he has announced his last-minute withdrawal from the event.

According to a message shared on the Kojima Productions Twitter account:

“We regret to inform you that Hideo Kojima will no longer be able to attend this year’s GDC Festival of Gaming. We understand that this will be disappointing for fans and attendees who were looking forward to hearing him speak and we want to offer our deepest apologies. While Hideo Kojima is unable to attend in person, Kojima Productions is still excited to be part of this year’s festival, with members of the team presenting during the week.”

Kojima GDC (Image credit: Getty Images)

This sudden change has led to speculation, especially in light of a recent GDC report indicating that a significant number of non-US developers have canceled their travel plans due to various immigration and identity policy concerns. However, the message from Kojima Productions clarified that other members of the team would still be attending the conference.

No additional updates on the situation have been provided by Kojima Productions or GDC. Hideo Kojima’s keynote entitled “Restarting from Zero: A Message to Creators Considering Independence” was expected to be particularly poignant during these turbulent times in the gaming industry.