Konami removes Hideo Kojima’s name from Metal Gear Solid V box

OK, now it just feels like Konami is being mean.

The publisher released images of the latest version of the box art for the upcoming stealth game Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain — as originally spotted by this NeoGaf post —  and director Hideo Kojima’s name and Kojima Productions are now gone. You can see the new art on the left above, with the previous version to the right.

Things have been awkward between Konami and Kojima for a bit now. Rumors started in March that Kojima had left (or had to leave) the company in March. Konami intensified those rumors when it started to get rid of all mention of Kojima Productions from Metal Gear Solid V’s website. It also cancelled another Kojima game, Silent Hills.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain comes out on Sept. 1 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. A PC version will follow on Sept. 15.