Hideo Kojima reflects on creativity and mortality as Death Stranding 2 reaches ‘crunch time’

Hideo Kojima recently reflected on the future of his creative journey as he continues to work and his age advances. The Japanese game director drew inspiration from Ridley Scott in his musings. Kojima made his reflection as Death Stranding 2 reaches “crunch time.” He also mentioned his involvement with other creative projects.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is one of the most anticipated games of 2025. The game’s creator, Hideo Kojima, is lauded as one of the key figures in the development of the gaming industry. Kojima spoke out about his creative journey as Death Stranding 2 nears its 2025 release. 

Hideo Kojima reflects on his creative journey

At this age, I can’t help but think about how much longer I’ll be able to stay “creative.” 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… https://t.co/HivXYY4PHC

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) January 13, 2025

Hideo Kojima, the 61-year-old game creator behind the popular Metal Gear and Death Stranding game franchises, opened up on the challenges he faced in his creative journey. Kojima attributed his age as the most significant challenge as he questioned how long he would be able to stay creative. Kojima stated that he feels like he’s running against the clock and that he’s unable to tell how long he can keep going – whether for another decade or two. 

Hideo Kojima’s reflection on X quoted a previous post made on January 12, 2025, where he posted a picture of Ridley Scott’s: A Retrospective that he bought at a bookstore. The book, written by Ian Nathan, chronicles the life of the acclaimed British film director, who worked on globally renowned films, including Blade Runner,  Alien, and Black Hawk Down. The Death Stranding creator has previously made several posts about Scott’s works on his social media pages, hailing the director as a key influence on modern culture. 

The Metal Gear creator added some context to his post by saying that Ridley Scott was 60 years old when he created “Gladiator.” Hideo Kojima reflected that being over 60 years old, he was inspired by the fact that Ridley Scott is still active at 87 years old.

Recently, Scott directed Gladiator 2, the sequel to his 2000 film, one of the most impactful films of the century. Kojima’s reflection hinted at his desire to be creative for as long as possible despite issues such as illness that had previously limited his output.

The Japanese game developer’s musings came as Death Stranding 2 reached ‘crunch time,’ months before its expected release in 2025. Kojima is also simultaneously working on other projects, such as the upcoming PlayStation 5 game, Physint, and OD. The Japanese director was also confirmed to be working with A24 on a live-action Death Stranding film and developing a movie adaptation of Physint. The film adaptations will see Kojima expand his horizons beyond the gaming scene where he made his name.

Gamers encourage Kojima to continue his creative journey

In reaction to his reflections, many gamers went online to show their support for the projects that Kojima has been working on. The gamers posted messages of encouragement stating that Kojima should keep at it for as long as he felt he had something to give.

Some gamers went on to say Kojima has no peers when it comes to the quality of his work and that he should feel no pressure and just focus on his current projects.

Other gamers urged Kojima not to compare himself to others because comparison is the thief of joy. They also urged Kojima to focus on his projects and his health ahead of the upcoming projects.

The gamers’ support came before Death Stranding’s 5th anniversary celebrations, set for January 17. Kojima stated that he is looking forward to seeing Death Stranding fans in Nagoya, Japan, to commemorate the event.  

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