Video game writer/director Hideo Kojima’s recent tweets may be suggesting that a new Death Stranding title is already in the works.
Late last month, Kojima Productions founder Hideo Kojima discussed the cancellation of a major project his studio was working on but assured fans that his studio’s next title was already in its planning phase, though he was not at liberty to share any more info.
It seems the industry legend just couldn’t contain his excitement, as two of his more recent tweets seem to be hinting at a return to the Death Stranding universe.
Kojima’s Twitter posts were meant to detail his work-from-home regiments, but also included some conveniently placed references to his studio’s first video game title.
The Japanese director previously expressed interest in a Death Stranding sequel, so news of him working on one shouldn’t come as too much of surprise.
Hideo Kojima is already thinking about a Death Stranding sequel, but he would "start from zero" https://t.co/SmUv2ghDJc pic.twitter.com/8XOQ3cIF2q
— GameSpot (@GameSpot) December 2, 2019
Hideo Kojima works alongside BB from Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima took to Twitter last week to let fans in on his work-from-home design process and to show off a few photos of his current workstation.
Photos of his desk weren’t the only things the Metal Gear designer put on display, as a few Death Stranding references “somehow” found their way into the shots.
Here's my way of designing new title w/Yoji. 1st we discuss the setting for each character, the background, the world, the color, the characteristics, the roles, the images, ideas and keyword going back&forth via E-mail. WFH & 20 mins direct discussion. Mostly texting via iPhone. pic.twitter.com/XCYpFwsQ6U
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) June 26, 2020
Kojima’s first tweet described the artistic process between himself and Japanese artist Yoji Shinkawa, detailing how they discuss character settings, backgrounds, color schemes, etc. Correspondences usually take place via text, though e-mails and “direct discussions” are also commonplace.
The not-so-subtle Death Stranding Easter Egg here is the slightly unsettling large-sized Bridge Baby (BB) staring blankly off-screen. Fans of the game will instantly recognize the fetus as the peculiar sort of mascot of Kojima’s open-world game.
Rocking out to Kitaro
The reference in his second tweet is a little more subtle, with the writer proudly sharing his newly purchased Kitaro record.
Working on the concept with listening to “OASIS” by Kitaro I recently bought. I(I used to have the vinyl) Love the illustration by Shusei Nagaoka. pic.twitter.com/hRLyZmnhe5
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) June 27, 2020
A closer look at the sketch towards the center of the photo reveals what looks like a spaceship with a decal of the word “BRIDGES” on its side, as revealed by a ResetEra forum post, which fans can check out here.
Those who played Death Stranding will likely remember Bridges as the company that Sam—the game’s protagonist—works for.
The words “LANDING SHIP” can also be seen just right of the disk tray, which some people speculate to mean a space-oriented adventure.
Some kind of BRIDGES vehicle, but for traveling how? pic.twitter.com/dHrw3gDXnS
— Ross Weaver (@DreamingWeaver) June 27, 2020
While the recent tweets could very well mean a Death Stranding sequel is on the horizon, they could also mean nothing at all, as Kojima is known for just doing Kojima things. The speculations should obviously be taken with a grain of salt, though a continuation to his previous game would definitely be interesting.
Featured image courtesy of Kojima Productions/Twitter