Summary
- Conan O'Brien will return in Death Stranding 2, joining a star-studded cast including Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen.
- Hideo Kojima's tradition of celebrity cameos in games continues with big names from the industry like Conan O'Brien.
Late-night comedian Conan O’Brien is coming back for another cameo in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The original Death Stranding featured a cast of Hollywood celebrities like Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and Lea Seydoux, as well as big-name voice actors like Troy Baker. Reedus, Seydoux, and Baker are all reprising their roles in the upcoming Death Stranding 2, which will add Elle Fanning and Shioli Kutsuna alongside the digital likenesses of directors George Miller and Fatih Akin.
Hideo Kojima’s penchant for casting famous people in his projects extends well beyond the key players of the Death Stranding universe, as the first game was filled with cameos from the likes of former Famitsu editor-in-chief Hirokazu Hamamura and The Game Awards architect Geoff Keighley. One of the biggest of these cameos was from late-night TV host and celebrity gamer Conan O'Brien, who rewards Sam Porter Bridges with the comical Sea Otter Hood after completing a certain side mission.
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Conan O’Brien recently reflected on his appearance in the original Death Stranding during the latest segment of Clueless Gamer, a series where he and a guest play video games together. He and regular Clueless Gamer guest Aaron Bleyaert play through a portion of Death Stranding: Director’s Cut, with Conan recalling the time he met Hideo Kojima at the Kojima Productions studio in Japan. Footage of Kojima offering to scan Conan for the game on the spot is shown before he and Bleyaert get into the game.
Conan O’Brien Is Coming Back in Death Stranding 2
After roughly two hours of O’Brien comically struggling to brave the post-apocalyptic world of Death Stranding (and Bleyaert admitting that he’s never found Conan's Death Stranding cameo), Conan calls Hideo Kojima to figure out where his virtual avatar is. After Kojima guides him on where to look, Conan asks the legendary developer if he could cameo in another game someday, to which Kojima invites him to Kojima Productions' new studio to be rescanned, presumably for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
During the video, Conan playfully suggests he take on a more heroic and prominent role in the next Death Stranding game, having been somewhat underwhelmed by his otter-obsessed character from the original. However, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’s plot and characters, so gamers will have to wait until at least sometime next year to see what role Conan O’Brien plays in his next big video game appearance.
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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
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA. Sam—with companions by his side—sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles and a haunting question: should we have connected? Step by step, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima changes the world once again.
- Engine
- Decima
- Franchise
- Death Stranding
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
