Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima is questioning how long he can remain creative while revealing the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is in "crunch time."
A series of X/Twitter posts from Kojima revealed his thoughts on both subjects, as he first revealed he was "tired" before detailing "the most demanding period of game development" known as "crunch" time.
Game studios have generally vowed to avoid crunch — where employees have to work extended hours and even on days off for prolonged periods — following a series of high-profile controversies in recent years. It's certainly unusual for a studio head to announce it's happening to them.
"The most demanding period of game development — both physically and mentally — commonly known as 'crunch time,'" Kojima said. "On top of mixing and Japanese voice recording, there’s an inevitable pile of other tasks: writing comments, explanations, essays, interviews, discussions, and non-game-related work. It’s incredibly tough."
While Kojima failed to mention Death Stranding 2 specifically, and Kojima Productions does have a number of games in development, it's the most likely candidate for being in the crunch phase as it's due out in 2025 and crunch usually arrives towards the end of development. The studio's other two projects, the mysterious OD and Physint, both appear to be much earlier in development and lack release windows.
The most demanding period of game development—both physically and mentally—commonly known as “crunch time.” On top of mixing and Japanese voice recording, there’s an inevitable pile of other tasks: writing comments, explanations, essays, interviews, discussions, and… https://t.co/FrXRgaS748
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) January 10, 2025
It doesn't appear to be this crunch period in particular that's prompted Kojima to think about his eventual retirement, despite his comments that it's "incredibly tough." Instead, his purchase of a Ridley Scott biography appears to have spurred a reflection on his own career.
"At this age, I can't help but think about how much longer I'll be able to stay 'creative,'" the 61-year-old Kojima said. "I want to keep going for the rest of my life, but is it 10 more years? 20? Every day feels like I’m racing against the clock. Even now, at 87, Ridley Scott is still active. And back when he was past 60 — my current stage in life — he created the masterpiece Gladiator."
Fans of Kojima's games therefore don't need to be too worried about him retiring anytime soon, as he's still determined to keep going despite almost four decades in the video game business already.
An extended look at Death Stranding 2 gameplay arrived in September and proved just as bizarre as fans would expect. It showed off a super weird photo mode, dancing puppet men, a character played by Mad Max director George Miller, and more oddities from the mind of Kojima.
An introduction to its story was shared in January too but, given its complex themes, plenty is still up in the air. Kojima has confirmed which characters are not returning though. In our 6/10 review of the first game, IGN said: "Death Stranding delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight."
Image Credit: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu via Getty Images.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
