Hideo Kojima Fans Spot a Fun Similarity Between Death Stranding 2's Box Art and Metal Gear Solid 2

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach got a caller trailer implicit the weekend, alongside a merchandise date, collector's edition, container art, and more. And arsenic fans person pored implicit the details, 1 has noticed a amusive transportation to manager Hideo Kojima's past work: Metal Gear Solid 2.

The container creation for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach shows Sam "Porter" Bridges, portrayed by Norman Reedus, holding the kid "Lou," who players of the archetypal crippled volition recognize. Reddit idiosyncratic ReverseTheFlash posted "He did it again," showing that container creation alongside a Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty slipcase with a akin motif.

The Metal Gear Solid 2 promo shows Japanese vocalist Gackt holding a kid successful a akin composition. Though it's not a one-for-one, it's surely amusive to enactment the similarities betwixt the 2 covers. It's besides a reminder of a unusual subdivision of Metal Gear Solid (out-of-universe) backstory.

During the run-up to the game's release, Gackt was featured successful aggregate promos for Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Part of this, it seems, included peculiar slip-covers for the crippled successful immoderate territories, which person resulted successful random MGS ephemera that's some intrigued and confused radical implicit the years.

In lawsuit you're wondering wherefore Gackt, specifically, was truthful progressive with Metal Gear Solid 2's promotional campaign, Kojima offered an mentation successful 2013. The crushed helium asked Gackt to "be connected MGS2's TVCM is 'MGS1' was astir DNA & 'MGS2' MEME. DNA consists 'AGTC', adding 'K' of KOJIMA becomes 'GACKT.' " So, there's that.

Considering Death Stranding 2's caller trailer has plentifulness of Metal Gear vibes successful it, it's nary astonishment fans are drafting the parallels here. Personally, I deliberation immoderate similarities are, astatine most, a motion of recurring ideas crossed Kojima's games. But still, it's amusive to speculate and ponder, and it's ever a bully clip to question down representation lane with a promotional screen featuring Gackt.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launches connected June 26, 2025 exclusively connected PlayStation 5.

Eric is simply a freelance writer for IGN.