Hideo Kojima Says Death Stranding 2 References and Easter Eggs Aren’t What You Think — They’re for the Fans

Hideo Kojima has always left little breadcrumbs for fans, but now he’s basically saying the callbacks are baked in. And yeah, Death Stranding 2 is loaded with them.

He knows the references are inevitable

In a new chat with The Washington Post, Kojima laughed about the self-references and nods to his older work, then put it plainly:

"It’s the same person making the games, right? So it’s kind of unavoidable in that sense."

He also framed it as a bit of a game within the game for long-time fans:

"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."

Quick translation on the "white whales" bit: think recurring obsessions and hidden gags he chases across projects — a Kojima staple at this point.

Death Stranding 2 is full of winks

If you played it, you probably caught at least a few. Two very on-brand examples:

• When Sam takes a bath, Kojima himself is literally in the stars, smiling down. Subtle? Not even a little.
• The classic Metal Gear Solid line "kept you waiting, huh" shows up for a victory lap.

He plants the Kojima-centric gags himself

Kojima has previously admitted he personally added the bits that reference, well, Kojima. Why? Because if he asked the team to do it, they’d "pretend not to hear" him. He also knows this stuff can trigger eye-rolls:

"might cause certain people to cringe hard"

But honestly, he seems perfectly happy to be the guy who goes all-in on the fan service anyway — cringe and free, which is usually the more entertaining lane.