Death Stranding 2's Crunch Raises Creativity Concerns for Kojima

Hideo Kojima, the visionary behind the Metal Gear series, recently expressed concerns about his creative longevity while revealing that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is currently in the demanding "crunch" phase of development.

Kojima's reflections, shared via a series of X/Twitter posts, highlighted the intense physical and mental strain of this crucial development period. He detailed the numerous tasks beyond game development, including writing, interviews, and other non-game related commitments, describing the workload as "incredibly tough."

While Kojima didn't explicitly name Death Stranding 2 as the project undergoing crunch, it's the most likely candidate given its 2025 release date and the typical timing of crunch towards the end of development. His studio, Kojima Productions, also has other projects underway (OD and Physint), but these appear to be in earlier stages of development.

The most demanding period of game development—both physically and mentally—commonly known as “crunch time.” On top of mixing and Japanese voice recording, there’s an inevitable pile of other tasks: writing comments, explanations, essays, interviews, discussions, and… https://t.co/FrXRgaS748

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) January 10, 2025

Kojima's contemplation of retirement, however, seems less directly linked to the current crunch and more inspired by reading a Ridley Scott biography. At 61, he questions how much longer he can maintain his creative drive, acknowledging the relentless pace of his work. He cites Ridley Scott's continued success at 87 as an inspiration, noting Scott's creation of Gladiator after turning 60.

Despite these reflections, Kojima remains committed to his craft, assuring fans that retirement isn't imminent. He's dedicated to continuing his work, even after nearly four decades in the gaming industry.

Death Stranding 2's gameplay, showcased in a September preview, maintained the series' characteristically bizarre style, featuring unique elements like a surreal photo mode and unexpected characters, including one portrayed by George Miller, director of Mad Max. While a story introduction was released in January, many plot details remain shrouded in mystery. Kojima has, however, confirmed the absence of certain characters from the sequel. The original Death Stranding received a 6/10 rating from IGN, praising its unique world-building but criticizing gameplay shortcomings.