Hideo Kojima says Death Stranding 2 references and Easter eggs aren't simply "a self-homage," but "more of a service to the fans who have been playing my games"

News
By published

Some references are "kind of unavoidable," Kojima says

Sam Porter Bridges flexes for the camera in Death Stranding 2
(Image credit: Kojima Production)

Even long before Death Stranding 2, Hideo Kojima was no stranger to leaving references to both himself and his past games in his work. Now, though, he says that the latter is something he sees as "kind of unavoidable."

Death Stranding 2 had plenty of fun Easter eggs and references to find, from Kojima himself smiling down from the stars when Sam takes a bath, to the return of the iconic "kept you waiting, huh" line from Metal Gear Solid. Speaking to The Washington Post in a new interview, Kojima acknowledges these nods, apparently laughing before saying, "It's the same person making the games, right? So it's kind of unavoidable in that sense."

Previously, Kojima admitted that all of the Death Stranding 2 Easter eggs that were themed around the dev himself were also added by himself, since if he asked his staff to do it, they'd apparently pretend not to hear him. He also acknowledged that such references "might cause certain people to cringe hard," but Kojima clearly operates with an 'I am cringe, but I am free' mentality – definitely the more fun way to be, if you ask me.

Catherine Lewis
Catherine Lewis
Deputy News Editor

I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.