Hideo Kojima’s longtime producer has joined Tencent. They ain’t fucking around!

Tencent has snagged away one of the founding members of Kojima Productions. I say, goddamn! The monolith is clearly taking this gaming shit seriously.

Kotaku:

Ken Imaizumi is a longtime collaborator with Hideo Kojima. He produced Metal Gear Solid 4, both Metal Gear Solid V installments, and, most recently, Death Stranding. According to South China Morning Post, he has now joined Tencent as the game arm’s production director.

Tencent also told the publication that Halo 4 lead designer Scott Warner will lead the company’s gaming studio TiMi Studios in North America. The company also confirmed Imaizumi’s hiring to SCMP.

While still at Konami, Imaizumi got involved on Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance before going on to produce the main title sequences for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. He’s been one of Kojima’s closest collaborators and co-founded the latest, independent iteration of Kojima Productions.