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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99View Summer Game Fest New games for 2025 Upcoming Switch 2 games Switch 2 stock Recommended reading Action Games As Hideo Kojima celebrates Death Stranding 2's release, he says "there were moments when I truly felt like we might never finish this game" Open World Games Hideo Kojima says "I'm happy with the scores, thank you" as Death Stranding 2 settles at 90 on Metacritic, overcoming his fears that it might be too likable Action Games "I almost gave up": Hideo Kojima on looking into the abyss, Death Stranding 2's Australian setting, working with his idols, and connecting with koalas Action Games As Death Stranding 2 scores make it one of the most popular games of the year, everyone's making the same joke about Hideo Kojima Action Games Death Stranding 2 was written before the pandemic, but illness and isolation had a heavy impact on Hideo Kojima and pushed him toward games that "don't already exist in the world" Open World Games Death Stranding 2 hands-on: An emphasis on combat and vehicles feels like an evolution of Metal Gear Solid 5, while continuing to push the first game's in-depth hiking physicality Action Games Hideo Kojima worried Death Stranding 2 was too likable, so hold his hand when you tell him it just beat the original game on Metacritic and zoomed up to a 90 score Action Games Death Stranding 2 "I'm so glad we never gave up on making this game": Death Stranding 2 director Hideo Kojima celebrates his latest hit's launch with its stars, says "I won't let go again" Catherine Lewis 1 July 2025 "I will treasure these connections and keep pushing forward" When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Kojima Productions) Hideo Kojima has been celebrating the launch of his new hit Death Stranding 2, and says he's "so glad" that he and the team at Kojima Productions "never gave up" on making it. Back at the game's actual release last week, Kojima noted that "during the pandemic, there were moments when I truly felt like we might never finish this game," adding that "to have made it to this day is overwhelming." Now, taking to Twitter following his appearance at the Death Stranding World Strand Tour 2 in London yesterday, he's been very open about how much the night itself and the game mean to him. "It was a truly special night in my life. I'll never forget what happened today," Kojima begins, going on to thank special guests Norman Reedus and Léa Seydoux, as well as Caroline Polachek, Geoff Keighley, and Chvrches (who all appeared at the event), in addition to his friends and fans. "I will treasure these connections and keep pushing forward. There may be all kinds of things waiting in the future, but I hope to face them by remembering this very day," he adds. You may like As Hideo Kojima celebrates Death Stranding 2's release, he says "there were moments when I truly felt like we might never finish this game" Hideo Kojima says "I'm happy with the scores, thank you" as Death Stranding 2 settles at 90 on Metacritic, overcoming his fears that it might be too likable "I almost gave up": Hideo Kojima on looking into the abyss, Death Stranding 2's Australian setting, working with his idols, and connecting with koalas Continuing, he says: "We all came together to reconnect the 'strands' that were once severed by the pandemic. I'm so glad we never gave up on making this game. I won't let go again. Thank you." We all came together to reconnect the “strands” that were once severed by the pandemic. I’m so glad we never gave up on making this game. I won’t let go again. Thank you. 🙏🫶👍😍🙇🏻🎮🎬 https://t.co/QGX12yOsxS pic.twitter.com/Hy3VJfpE82July 1, 2025 During the evening, Kojima also spoke about Death Stranding 2's excellent reviews, and although he previously expressed concerns about making the game too likeable, he's clearly not actually upset with the glowing praise it's now received. He states: "I'm happy with the scores, thank you." However, he "was so bummed" that the game's Easter eggs were so quickly shared around on social media, but he does take some responsibility for that. "I'm retweeting all these things, so the blame is on me." If you've not started Kojima's latest hit yet, be sure to take a look at our Death Stranding 2 review. Meanwhile, if you're already finished, you can check out our guide to Death Stranding 2's ending explained. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. See more PS5 News Hideo Kojima PlayStation Catherine Lewis Social Links Navigation Deputy News Editor I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. As Hideo Kojima celebrates Death Stranding 2's release, he says "there were moments when I truly felt like we might never finish this game" Hideo Kojima says "I'm happy with the scores, thank you" as Death Stranding 2 settles at 90 on Metacritic, overcoming his fears that it might be too likable "I almost gave up": Hideo Kojima on looking into the abyss, Death Stranding 2's Australian setting, working with his idols, and connecting with koalas As Death Stranding 2 scores make it one of the most popular games of the year, everyone's making the same joke about Hideo Kojima Death Stranding 2 was written before the pandemic, but illness and isolation had a heavy impact on Hideo Kojima and pushed him toward games that "don't already exist in the world" Death Stranding 2 hands-on: An emphasis on combat and vehicles feels like an evolution of Metal Gear Solid 5, while continuing to push the first game's in-depth hiking physicality Latest in Action Games How many Episodes are in Death Stranding 2? Death Stranding 2 is taking its On the Beach subtitle seriously as players think its map screen could be making some PS5s overheat Hideo Kojima admits references to himself in Death Stranding 2 are all his own doing, even if it "might cause certain people to cringe hard" All the best unlocks in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Hideo Kojima altered certain Death Stranding 2 characters to better match their actors, which is why why Cliff and Fragile smoke and Higgs plays guitar You may not like it, but peak Death Stranding performance is this incredible road that took 5 hours to make Latest in News James Gunn addresses a DC rumor that won't go away, saying one fan frontrunner would make a "great" Wonder Woman You'll soon be able to buy Fantastic Four comics off a newsstand, just the way our ancestors once did Hideo Kojima was "so bummed" Death Stranding 2 Easter eggs were "revealed on social media right away," but "I'm retweeting all these things so the blame is on me" Elden Ring's new content and Nintendo Switch 2 release could be coming soon – the Tarnished Edition was just rated by the ESRB Amazon's missing out on that sweet Switch 2 money because Nintendo's mad about "unauthorized sales," new report suggests Hideo Kojima says "I'm happy with the scores, thank you" as Death Stranding 2 settles at 90 on Metacritic, overcoming his fears that it might be too likable GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse" Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic" Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat" FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special" Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter" Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" 28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy” Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation" From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu" Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever" Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era" Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date" Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling" Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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