Bill Skarsgård cast as lead in Hideo Kojima's PHYSINT, now published by Xbox

Hideo Kojima announced on September 17, 2026 that Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård will play the lead role in PHYSINT, the action-espionage game from Kojima Productions. The reveal closed the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 broadcast, according to Xbox Wire.

The casting

"I'm delighted to confirm the lead role for PHYSINT will be Bill Skarsgård. We are both long-time fans of each other's work, and we've decided to embark on this new adventure together," Kojima said, as quoted by Xbox Wire.

Skarsgård joins a cast that includes Charlee Fraser, Don Lee and Minami Hamabe, Xbox Wire reports. Kojima personally shot the photos of Skarsgård and Fraser used on a new poster for the game. According to Xbox Wire, costume fittings, scans and camera tests with the actors took place earlier in 2026, and Kojima promised further casting updates.

Anime News Network reports that the team is moving forward on casting, talent scans and collaborations with outside creators. The outlet describes PHYSINT as Kojima's return to the espionage genre.

From Sony to Xbox

PHYSINT was originally to be published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Anime News Network reports that Sony stepped aside and that Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios took over publishing duties. Xbox Wire says Xbox announced it had picked up publishing rights to PHYSINT on September 9, 2026, and that the partnership extends to film and television adaptations.

Neither Xbox Wire nor Anime News Network gave a release date, platforms beyond the Xbox connection, or the game engine for PHYSINT.

OD update

Kojima also gave an update on OD, a horror game being developed with Xbox Game Studios. The broadcast showed behind-the-scenes footage of stars Sophia Lillis and Hunter Schafer in performance capture sessions, Xbox Wire reports.

Kojima said that "performance capture and ADR recording have resumed after being paused during the SAG strike," and that production is "proceeding on schedule," according to Anime News Network.

Why it matters

PHYSINT's move from Sony to Xbox puts it alongside OD as a Kojima Productions project tied to Xbox Game Studios. Naming a lead actor is a concrete sign of progress on a game that has not yet been given a release window.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.