Hideo Kojima on Creativity and Crunch During Death Stranding 2 Development

Hideo Kojima, the renowned creator behind the Metal Gear series, has recently taken to X/Twitter to share his thoughts on the challenging nature of game development and his personal reflections on creativity and longevity in his career. Kojima candidly admitted to feeling "tired" as he navigates what he described as "the most demanding period of game development," commonly referred to as "crunch time." This period, known for its intense workload, involves long hours and additional tasks such as mixing, Japanese voice recording, writing comments, explanations, essays, interviews, discussions, and non-game-related work.

While Kojima did not explicitly mention Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, the game is widely believed to be the project currently in crunch, given its scheduled release in 2025. Other projects at Kojima Productions, such as OD and Physint, are still in earlier stages of development without set release dates.

Interestingly, despite the grueling nature of crunch time, it's not this specific period that has prompted Kojima to contemplate retirement. Instead, his recent purchase of a Ridley Scott biography has led him to reflect on his own career trajectory. At 61, Kojima expressed concerns about how long he can remain creatively active, drawing inspiration from Ridley Scott, who at 87 continues to work and created the masterpiece Gladiator past the age of 60. Kojima's determination to keep pushing forward, despite nearly four decades in the video game industry, should reassure fans that he is not ready to retire anytime soon.

An extended gameplay reveal of Death Stranding 2 in September showcased the game's signature eccentricity, featuring elements like a bizarre photo mode, dancing puppet men, and a character portrayed by George Miller, the director of Mad Max. Additionally, an introduction to the game's story was shared in January, though its complex themes leave much to the imagination. Kojima has clarified which characters will not be returning in the sequel. In IGN's review of the original Death Stranding, it received a 6/10, with the comment that "Death Stranding delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight."