Now Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is out, Hideo Kojima has turned his attention to the Xbox-published OD, which he previously described as "a game I have always wanted to make."
In an interview with Ssense, Kojima reflected on the development and reception of Death Stranding 2, and offered an oh-so-brief glimpse into what's next, including the mysterious OD.
If you're hoping for some concrete details, I'm afraid you're out of luck — Kojima is as coy as ever about the new project — but he did describe it as "something totally different... people will love it or hate it."
Interestingly, Kojima seemed very matter-of-fact about that aforementioned hate, though; while he acknowledged he will likely read fan consensus on social media and watch the inevitable video essays that pop up dissecting his work, ultimately, he believes "the real evaluations come after — 10 or 20 years from now."
When Kojima announced OD at The Game Awards 2023, he took to the stage to call it something “no one has seen before.”
“It is a game, don’t get me wrong, but it’s at the same time a movie and at the same time a new form of media," he said at the time.
The floating heads that show up in the footage above include Sophia Lillis (It, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), and Udo Kier (Hunters, Swan Song).
Just as viewers started to wrap their heads around OD, Nope and Get Out Director Jordan Peele walked onto the stage to express his love for Metal Gear Solid 2 while revealing that he is collaborating with Kojima on OD as well.
“He's been an inspiration to me, and the opportunity to collaborate with him is truly incredible," Peele said. "In my films, I’m always trying to maximize the immersion, put the audience into the main character’s shoes. Hideo is the master of this and he does it on a whole other level. What he’s cooking up here is completely immersive, utterly terrifying, and I am absolutely honored to be collaborating with the GOAT. Let’s go.”
Kojima didn't share the extent of Peele's involvement in OD. However, he did tease more impressive names that haven't been revealed yet:
“What I can say right now, is it’s not just Jordan. I have other creative partners with me on board on this project. I can’t really say who they are right now, but, I tell you, they are the legends and they are amazing.”
As for when we'll eventually see anything of OD, it's worth bearing in mind that in January, Kojima confirmed that the video game actors strike had affected its production, as well as that for his upcoming action espionage title for Sony.
In a tweet, Kojima said that his studio, Kojima Productions, was forced to suspend actor scanning and filming for OD during the second half of 2024 after the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) video game actors' strike began in July.
Similarly, casting for Physint, Kojima’s hotly anticipated return to the “action espionage” genre, was suspended due to the strike. Kojima added that he hopes to resume production in 2025. Physint was announced during a Sony State of Play broadcast, suggesting it may release on PlayStation 6.
Kojima may be the creator of the seminal stealth series, Metal Gear, but in the same interview he admitted that he won't play Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater — a remake of MGS3.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
