Kojima Productions to pursue legal action after Hideo Kojima falsely linked to the assassination of Shinzo Abe on Twitter

Following the false accusation and misinformation linking the popular video game developer Hideo Kojima to the assassination of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Kojima Productions has taken the decision to pursue legal actions.

Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese Prime Minister, was part of the country’s Liberal Democratic Party. The 67 years old first took office back in September 2006 but stepped down a year later in September 2007 due to medical complications related to ulcerative colitis. He was later re-elected in December 2012 and subsequently served the office for nearly eight years. However, he had to resign again in September 2020 owing to his deteriorating health.

During his tenure, Shinzo Abo claimed many recognitions, such as Japan's youngest post-war prime minister and the first prime minister to have been born after World War II. Furthermore, he was also the first former prime minister to return to office since Shigeru Yoshida in 1948. He also became Japan's longest-serving prime minister during his second term.

On July 8, 2022, as he was delivering a campaign speech in Nara, Shinzo Abe was brutally shot by a former soldier, which resulted in the former Prime Minister's death. The tragic incident has shaken not only the nation but also world politics at large. The gruesome and shocking incident has led to legitimate questions about the lack of security for the former Prime Minister. However, this tragic incident has once again resulted in misinformation spreading like wildfire on social media, with real-world consequences.

Kojima Production will pursue legal actions against those falsely linking Hideo Kojima with Shinzo Abe’s assassination

Hideo Kojima, the legendary creator behind Metal Gear Solid, is not only one of the most respected video game developers but also an icon of the video game industry. Unfortunately, Kojima has been falsely accused of assassinating Shinzo Abe.

Following the death of Japan’s former Prime Minister, French far-right politician Damien Rieu shared an image of Hideo Kojima in a now-deleted tweet and wrote (translated from French)

“Far left extremism kills”

He also retweeted multiple tweets indicating the Death Stranding creator to be the assassin of the former Prime Minister. The misinformation was further escalated by news outlets such as Iran’s Mashregh News and Greek news channel ANT1; since then, these outlets have corrected their statements. Twitter was shocked by these wild accusations, as people shared memes and condemned the accusers for being "racist."

Kojima Productions, the game development studio created by Hideo Kojima, shared their official statement regarding the false accusations. The studio not only condemned the people behind the misinformation but also stated that they will be pursuing legal actions in certain cases. The Twitter statement is as follows:

Kojima Productions strongly condemns the spread of fake news and rumors that convey false information. We do not tolerate such libel and will consider taking legal action in some cases.

This is not the first time Kojima has been a victim of misinformation. Previously, an image of Kojima with a Bridge Baby prop from Death Stranding was circulated with the wild claim that the game developer mummified an aborted baby. The images were used for a pro-abortion protest.

While the misinformation on social media does portray ignorance, it also brings into question the real-world consequences of misinformation.

Kojima production’s first title Death Stranding is often regarded as one of the most thought-provoking video games of the last decade. Currently, the studio is developing an unknown title, which according to leaks is going to be a horror title called “Overdose.”