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Death Stranding 2 has a hidden cutscene that triggers on the player's real birthday, and according to studio head Hideo Kojima even its production was rich with secrets and sugar.
In a Twitter post, Kojima explains the "surprise cutscene in Death Stranding 2 that activates on the player's birthday" and shares a complete cut of its filming. The real star is Elle Fanning, who plays the character Tomorrow in Death Stranding 2, and whose real birthday aligned with the shoot.
"The OK take had already been shot, but as a backup, we asked for 'one more take please,' while secretly preparing a surprise cake for Elle," Kojima says. "The other cast members were in on it. During the shoot, I left the set briefly to go get the cake. The take from that moment is the one we actually used in the game. The actor for Tarman couldn’t come to the set due to COVID, so Kevin stepped in."
Kojima himself brought out the cake, but only after the motion capture stage was filled with slightly ominous birthday music. Caught off guard, Fanning initially joins in with the group singing the birthday song, only to realize she's actually the birthday girl.
"Me!?" she exclaims as Kojima trots out with a pink cake topped by, I believe, a frosting or pastry BB-28. "Thank you," she says later in the clip.
This is not the first, second, or third time Kojima has heaped praise on Fanning, as Death Stranding fans love to point out, but in fairness Kojima seems to harbor screeching fan girl levels of adoration for literally every actor he works with.
