A Hideo Kojima–helmed Matrix game sounds like a perfect late-’90s mash-up. And it might have happened—if anyone had told him. A former Konami exec claims the Wachowskis pitched Kojima for a Matrix tie-in in 1999. Kojima now says he never got the message. If he had, he reckons there might’ve been a way to juggle it with Metal Gear Solid 2.

What the ex-Konami account claims

A detailed recollection from Christopher Bergstresser (then Konami’s VP of licensing) outlines a pitch during The Matrix’s Japan push. According to his account, the Wachowskis wanted Kojima; a senior Konami leader shut it down immediately.

• Meeting timing lines up with The Matrix’s Japan premiere window in late 1999.
• The ask: Kojima’s team to make an official Matrix game.
• The response: an instant “no” from executive Kazumi Kitaue.
  If true, that’s a very short path from dream brief to dead end, and it explains why the idea never reached the person it targeted.

Kojima’s timeline—straight from his post

Kojima posted on X on 29 October 2025 (GST+4 overnight from Japan/US timelines). He says he and the Wachowskis were mutual fans, exchanged emails, and met several times in Japan around the film’s local release—but crucially, he wasn’t in the room when the key meeting happened and no one told him afterwards.

• “In all these 26 years, no one ever told me such a conversation had taken place.”
• He arrived at Konami HQ after the meeting with Kazumi Kitaue had already ended.
• He chatted with the group for about an hour—with no Matrix game offer mentioned to him.
  Kojima also notes he’d already seen the film in the US, and while he was buried in MGS2, he believes there “maybe could’ve been a way” if he’d known.

Could Kojima have made it work in 1999–2000?

On paper, not great timing. Kojima’s team was knee-deep in Metal Gear Solid 2. But he now suggests he might have found room.

• Heavy load: MGS2 and studio responsibilities.
• Creative overlap: Matrix-style action fit the design mood of the era.
• Counterfactual: he thinks a path might have existed despite the schedule.
  It’s speculation, but it matches how big licences were handled then: parallel teams, tight windows, and publisher risk aversion. The licence instead moved to Shiny Entertainment, leading to Enter the Matrix (2003) and Path of Neo (2005).

Why the decision makes sense for 1999 Konami

If the reported instant “no” is accurate, it reflects publisher priorities at the time: protect the flagship project and avoid scope creep.

• Central control: fast executive calls over external collaborations.
• Schedule pressure: MGS2 hype and deadlines took precedence.
• Brand calculus: less risk in keeping Kojima focused than juggling a huge Hollywood licence.
  In other words, boring portfolio logic won out over a cool crossover. Not shocking for a late-’90s Konami.

Did the Wachowskis ask for Kojima to make a Matrix game?

A former Konami licensing VP says they did during the 1999 Japan release window, but a senior exec shut it down immediately.

Did Kojima personally turn it down?

No. Kojima says he never heard about the offer and only learned of it via social media this week.

Were Kojima and the Wachowskis actually in touch?

Yes—mutual fans who exchanged emails and met several times in Japan. The alleged offer didn’t happen in his presence.