As COVID-19 continues to spread, yet another studio is impacted. Kojima Productions is temporarily closing its doors after one employee tested positive. Following the ‘coronavirus’ testing, Hideo Kojima’s breakout studio, the same studio that gave us Death Stranding, is halting production for the time being, though the good news is that this shuttering is not permanent.
Kojima-san himself confirmed the news with a recent press release alongside a list of action items the team is working on to ensure everyone’s safety. According to the prepared statement, “The employee has been at home from March 20th and as such has not entered the office since then. During that time, the employee underwent a PCR test, which returned a positive result today. We are working closely with public health authorities and they have informed us that since this employee was not in the office at the time of symptoms onset, all other Kojima Production employees are not considered “close contacts”, meaning that it is not mandatory to close the office.”
- Temporarily close the office floor
- Sanitize all office facilities
- All working staff will now work remotely
- Supervise and support for the health condition of all staff
The good news is that the studio is not considered at risk since the employee in question was not in the office during the timeframe of diagnosis. That being said, many companies out there, both AAA and not, have made the decision weeks prior to work remotely. While Kojima Productions is a little delayed to that action, it’s better now than never.
A source close to the studio says that the company is still trying to figure out how the setup of the new workday will look like, but overall they feel confident that KP will be back up and running in no time.
For those that are still working non-remotely, please be safe. Wash those hands, sanitize all surfaces, and practice social distancing with co-workers. While it’s unfortunate not everyone can work remotely, it is incredibly important to take care of yourself and those around you during this difficult time.
