The newly updated box art for the upcoming video game "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain" no longer has the name of its creator on it.
A previous version of the game's box art included the words "A Hideo Kojima Game" right around the top, but now that line has been removed.
Industry insiders do not consider Kojima's name being taken off the game's cover as an accident. Various reports over the last few months have indicated that the game's publisher Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. and its creator Kojima have been having problems over the entire development process of the new title.
Back in March, Konami also removed Kojima's name from the franchise's official web site as well as other promotional materials related to the game, according to Polygon.
In addition to Kojima's name being taken off of the game's cover, the logo of Kojima Productions, the series' developer, has also been removed.
Adding to the increasing speculation that Konami and Kojima are headed towards an eventual divorce was a Twitter statement from Akio Otsuka, the Japanese actor behind the game's lead character Solid Snake's voice, saying that the game developer's studio has disbanded.
For now, both Konami and Kojima have still chosen to stay mum on the matter of their relationship, and an update is not expected until "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain" is officially released.
In related news, the first playable demo of "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain" will reportedly be coming to Gamescom 2015, according to iDigital Times.
This year's Gamescom will be held in Cologne, Germany. The event will run from Aug. 5-9.
The actual contents of the upcoming demo are still unknown. Konami will also be providing a demo for "Pro Evolution Soccer 2016" at the event.
"Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain" will be available for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and the PC starting Sept. 1.
