Konami has denied yesterday's report that Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima had left the company.

A spokesperson for the company stated to Tokyo Sports (translated by Kotaku), "Currently, Kojima is listed as a company employee."

"Kojima and the development team are finished developing Metal Gear Solid V and are taking a long time off from work."

In response, the author of the New Yorker article that originated the claim tweeted a picture he claimed depicted Kojima's final farewell party.

Konami is allegedly "not sure what kind of thing this was."

Whether Kojima has left Konami permanently or is just on a long holiday after completing a giant game, the mystery and uncertainty surrounding the story is very strange, characteristic of recent upheavals at Konami.