Hideo Kojima, the visionary behind the Metal Gear series, has opened up about the challenges of maintaining his creative edge as he navigates the demanding "crunch time" for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. In a series of X/Twitter posts, Kojima shared his exhaustion and the intense pressure of this critical development phase.
Crunch time, a period notorious for its grueling demands on both the physical and mental well-being of game developers, involves extended work hours and additional tasks such as mixing, Japanese voice recording, writing comments, explanations, essays, interviews, and other non-game-related duties. Despite industry-wide efforts to eliminate crunch following recent controversies, Kojima's candid revelation highlights its ongoing presence at his studio.
Although Kojima didn't mention Death Stranding 2 by name, the game, slated for a 2025 release, is likely the project currently in crunch, given the studio's other projects, OD and Physint, are in earlier stages of development.
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
Interestingly, it's not the crunch itself that has Kojima contemplating retirement, but rather his recent purchase of a Ridley Scott biography. At 61, Kojima reflects on his career's longevity, drawing inspiration from Scott's continued creativity at 87. "At this age, I can't help but think about how much longer I'll be able to stay 'creative,'" Kojima expressed, pondering whether he has another 10 or 20 years left in his career. His admiration for Scott's work, including Gladiator created past the age of 60, fuels his desire to keep pushing forward.
Fans of Kojima's unique storytelling can breathe a sigh of relief; he remains committed to his craft despite nearing four decades in the industry. An extended gameplay reveal for Death Stranding 2 in September showcased the game's signature eccentricity, featuring a bizarre photo mode, dancing puppet men, and a character portrayed by George Miller, the director of Mad Max. In January, an introduction to the game's intricate narrative was shared, though much remains to be unveiled. Kojima has also confirmed which characters won't be returning. IGN's review of the original Death Stranding noted, "Death Stranding delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight," giving it a 6/10 score.
