The Game Awards 2015 honoured Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain as this year's best action game. The game's director, Hideo Kojima, was not in attendance to accept the award.

Show host Geoff Keighley explained the reasoning behind his absence was that Mr Kojima's soon-to-be former employers, and publishers of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, Konami, instructed Mr Kojima via lawyers that he wasn't permitted to attend the show.

In a speech during the ceremony, host Keighley said:

"Mr Kojima had every intention of being with us tonight, but unfortunately he was informed by a lawyer representing Konami just recently that he would not be allowed to travel to tonight's award ceremony to accept any awards.

"He’s still under an employment contract and it’s disappointing."

Hideo Kojima and Konami have been in a long-standing dispute since earlier this year when it was confirmed that the acclaimed director would depart the company upon the completion of Metal Gear Solid 5.