Kojima Productions closes offices after employee tests positive for COVID-19

While the COVID-19 pandemic is still a major concern in the world, there can be no chances taken with it. Kojima Productions recently revealed that they are learning this the hard way. After an employee tested positive for the virus, the Kojima Productions offices will be closed and sanitized as the studio enacts remote work policies for the time being.

Kojima Productions revealed the situation regarding the affected employee and their actions following on the Kojima Productions Twitter on March 30, 2020. Reportedly, an employee recognized symptoms of the virus and was sent home on March 20, 2020. Following this, they tested positive for COVID-19. While public health authorities assured the staff that proper precautions were taken and it would not be mandatory for the office to close, Kojima Productions still opted to voluntarily shut down the office for sanitation and begin work from home while supporting and supervising the health of all staff through the temporary period.

The close of Kojima Productions offices due to a COVID-19 case could affect production on the launch of Death Stranding on PC in June 2020.

While COVID-19 has been a problem worldwide, different nations are working against it in different ways. Japan has not necessarily enforced mandatory shelter-at-home policies since COVID-19 became a pandemic. Even so, it has not stopped some groups from taking precautions on their own. Nintendo announced early that it would begin enacting work-from-home policies despite the fact that games like Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Animal Crossing: New Horizons content could be affected by it. Square Enix also enacted similar policies to protect the health of its employees despite the impending launch of the Final Fantasy 7 remake.

It is unfortunate that Kojima Productions was forced into this situation by the fact that one of its employees has been affected by the virus, but hopefully, with voluntary precautions in place to stop further spread, everything will be fine among the Kojima crew. We’ll have information on any further impacts to Kojima Productions and their projects as details become available, such as the upcoming PC launch of Death Stranding in June 2020.