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"

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."

He continues: "Also, I play little tricks and fun jokes, leaving white whales and things like that. I don't want to say it's a self-homage, but it's more of a service to the fans who have been playing my games."

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.

If you've still not picked up Kojima Productions' latest game, be sure to check out our Death Stranding 2 review. Meanwhile, if you've already finished it, you can read our guide to Death Stranding 2's ending explained.