Highlights

  • Hideo Kojima credits his friendship with Guillermo del Toro for saving his career and encouraging him to continue his various game development projects.
  • Kojima's love for film is evident in his cinematic storytelling approach to game development, and he aims to merge the mediums of film and gaming in his upcoming projects.
  • Kojima's current projects include Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, O.D., and a new espionage game codenamed Physint, indicating that he is not planning to leave game development anytime soon.

Kojima Productions released a brand-new HideoTube episode, wherein the eponymous developer explains that his relationship with Guillermo del Toro "saved" his life. The Kojima-helmed studio is working on a minimum of three projects currently: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, O.D., and a new espionage game codenamed Physint. Kojima touches on these three new Kojima Productions projects, in addition to his creative process and personal life, in the HideoTube episode.

Hideo Kojima and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro have had a working relationship since the days of P.T. and the swiftly canceled Silent Hills. Though the pair never got to realize their disturbing horror title, they would go on to work together in Death Stranding, with del Toro lending his likeness to the character of Deadman. It's unclear whether del Toro will be involved in Death Stranding 2, but it would appear that the two creators maintained a friendship following the release of the first game.

Kojima Peele Del Toro Collaboration
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That friendship may have been instrumental in the future of Kojima's career. When speaking about his upcoming Metal Gear Solid competitor in the most recent HideoTube episode, Kojima touches on a difficult period of his life. He says that he fell ill in 2020, to the point where he considered leaving game development altogether, possibly to pursue filmmaking. At the same time, Kojima says he was conflicted, stating that leaving Kojima Productions would cause it to collapse. When he spoke to del Toro about this, the director told him "‘Hideo, what you’re making is already a movie. Keep going as you are.’" Kojima credits these words with saving him, encouraging him to continue his various projects.

Guillermo del Toro Helped Kojima Stick with Game Development

Kojima's love for film is evident not only in his frequent collaborations with directors like George Miller, del Toro, and Nicholas Winding Refn, but in his overall approach to cinematic storytelling in games. Indeed, many fans have wondered why Kojima hasn't made his own movie yet, as he is clearly inspired by the medium. At the same time, Kojima is vocal about his goals to merge film and gaming, describing both Physint and O.D. as a blend of both mediums. In light of this, it makes sense that del Toro's encouraging comments would galvanize him.

A screenshot of George Miller's character and his pet cat creature in Death Stranding 2.

It doesn't look like Kojima is looking to get out of game development any time soon. The strange and experimental Death Stranding 2, along with O.D. and Physint, are sure to keep Kojima Productions busy for years to come. Kojima fans may have Guillermo del Toro to thank for this.