“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”

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.

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.”

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.