Summary
- Usada Pekora from Hololive will be a Prepper NPC in Death Stranding 2, joining other celebrities cameos.
- Kojima Productions confirmed Pekora's appearance in Death Stranding 2 after the game had gone gold.
- Fans are excited about Pekora's inclusion in the game, adding to the anticipation for the upcoming launch.
On May 29, Kojima Productions surprised Death Stranding 2: On the Beach fans by revealing that Hololive VTuber Usada Pekora will be in the game as a Prepper NPC that players can encounter. Pekora's inclusion in the upcoming Death Stranding 2 follows a precedent set by the first Death Stranding game, which featured celebrity cameos via minor NPC roles.
The announcement of Pekora's cameo in Death Stranding 2 came just under three weeks after Kojima Productions confirmed the game had gone gold, signifying that its development had concluded. Although the main development of Death Stranding 2 has ended, the upcoming PS5 title will likely still receive updates to address any lingering bugs that show up once the game launches on June 26. Along with the launch of Death Stranding 2, Kojima Productions confirmed that an anime adaptation of Death Stranding is in the works. A separate, live-action Death Stranding film adaptation by A24 is also in production, according to game director Hideo Kojima.
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Kojima Productions confirmed Usada Pekora's appearance in Death Stranding 2 on social media with a short gameplay video. In the clip, Pekora's voice is heard coming from a projector after Sam exits a shipping container. The camera then pans around to where Pekora's voice came from. Sam then thanks Pekora, who responds in kind and bows as he walks away. Kojima Productions stated that Pekora would be a Prepper NPC in Death Stranding 2 that players will encounter in-game, but did not state what role she would play beyond that. The rabbit-eared Hololive VTuber joins Conan O'Brien and Geoff Keighley on the list of celebrities who have made cameos in games, complete with their likenesses and voices.
Hololive VTuber Usada Pekora Is In Death Stranding 2
Usada Pekora is a member of Hololive Production's third generation of Virtual YouTubers, or VTubers, with her generation being titled "Hololive Fantasy" by the company. Pekora debuted in July 2019 and currently holds over 2.7 million subscribers on YouTube as of this writing. Pekora was one of the five nominees for Content Creator of the Year during the 2024 edition of The Game Awards. Although CaseOh was named the winner, Pekora's nomination came after popular VTuber Ironmouse claimed the same award in 2023. Some of Pekora's recent streams featured games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Pokemon FireRed.
In response to Pekora's reveal, fans of both Death Stranding and Hololive expressed their excitement. Between Pekora's appearance and a confirmed appearance by Hideo Kojima at Summer Game Fest 2025, Death Stranding 2 players will have plenty of content to look forward to throughout June.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- June 26, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
