Summary
- Hideo Kojima confirmed his ongoing back pain while working on Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.
- Fans jokingly attribute Kojima's back pain to carrying the gaming industry for 25 years.
Hideo Kojima has once again alerted fans to his ongoing back pain while working on the development of Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. The head of Kojima Productions has several projects on the go, but Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is the anticipated sequel firmly in fans' crosshairs, and Kojima has made it known he is working through his back pain to deliver the studio's next epic.
Death Stranding 2 is the successor to the 2019 action game that followed Norman Reedus’ courier Sam, who was tasked with delivering supplies to remote colonies in a post-apocalyptic world. The sequel sees the return of Reedus, Lea Seydoux’s Fragile, and Troy Baker’s Higgs, alongside new recruits in Elle Fanning’s Tomorrow and Shioli Kutsuna’s Rainy. Death Stranding 2’s photo mode was a key takeaway from this year’s Tokyo Game Show, and it promises to be an incredibly realistic feature designed to heighten the game’s experimental qualities.
Death Stranding 2 Reveals In-Game Photo Shoot and Dance Performance Events
Hideo Kojima reveals that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will feature an in-game photo shoot mode and a dance performance event.
On Twitter, Kojima shared a photo of a PlayStation 5 controller and a headset resting on his workstation with the caption, “Building the game. It's hard cause my back hurts.” Back in September, Kojima shared a similar photo and update with the community highlighting he had hurt his back and the injury was “painful.” Death Stranding 2’s release date has reportedly been decided, so it’s clear Kojima and his team are working hard on the project to meet deadlines. However, fans have found a comical reason why the creator is experiencing recurring back pain.
Hideo Kojima Confirms His Back Pain Has Returned
Fans are convinced Kojima’s injuries result from carrying the gaming industry on his back for the past 25 years. Included in a flurry of amusing replies, one Twitter user stated, “Carrying so much excellent video game history must be very hard on the spinal column.” Other fans jumped on the bandwagon and insisted the creator’s back injury was a new character tease for "Back Hurtman" in Death Stranding 2.
Alongside the sequel, Kojima is working on an action-espionage game codenamed PHYSINT, which is said to be a spiritual successor to the beloved Metal Gear Solid franchise, and Kojima Productions has also joined forces with A24 to adapt Death Stranding into a live-action feature. Kojima has even discussed designing a game in space, proving his ambitious drive to create exciting, memorable experiences that gamers hold in high regard despite his ongoing back issues.
Kojima’s work plate is considerably full going forward, but alongside the creator’s aforementioned projects, his collaboration with director Jordan Peele on an upcoming horror game is one to watch. OD is confirmed to be an Xbox exclusive and its mysterious premise promises to “explore the concept of testing your fear threshold.” Not only does it have a star-studded cast, with the likes of Hunter Schaffer and Sophia Lillis, but the gameplay will blur “the boundaries of gaming and film” to create a “new form of media.”
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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
