Hideo Kojima marked the launch of Death Stranding 2 in true rockstar fashion, taking the stage to shred on an electric guitar gifted to him by PlayStation.
Hideo Kojima continues to be a legend in the gaming industry, and his antics at the Tokyo stint of the Death Stranding 2: On The Beach world celebration tour proved it. Taking to the stage, the legendary creator shredded on a replica of character Higgs’ guitar from the original title last night (June 26).
Kojima accepted the new instrument before demonstrating his skills to an enthusiastic crowd. “We made Kojima a gift. Saw him spin it. All on Death Stranding 2 launch day. Perfection,” PlayStation Studios wrote on social media, sharing a clip of Kojima’s performance that quickly went viral.
Fans were quick to share their reactions online. “That’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him,” one fan commented. Another added, “He never ceases to surprise me.”
However, not everyone was convinced Kojima was actually playing live – given the guitar itself doesn’t appear to have any strings (but honestly, points for looking cool as hell even while playing a fake guitar). “People will believe anything,” said one skeptical user.
Since the video’s release, creative fans have edited various tracks over the clip, including Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘Ludens’ – originally released on the Death Stranding soundtrack album ‘Timefall’.
The Death Stranding 2: On The Beach world celebration tour continues tomorrow in Paris, followed by a stop in London on Monday. The London event at Outernet will feature Kojima alongside Caroline Polachek, who composed the game’s title track.
Looking ahead, Death Stranding fans can also look forward to the ‘Strands Of Harmony’ concert tour, set to kick off in November. The musical world tour will feature compositions from both the original 2019 game and its sequel – with a stop at the Sydney Opera House on November 8.
Kojima is somewhat of an enigma in the game industry, for his out-of-the-box ideas on where gaming is going, next-level storytelling, and general antics online. Earlier this year, Rolling Stone reported that during the development of Death Stranding 2, Kojima approached composer Woodkid with an unexpected concern. “Players liked it too much,” Kojima reportedly told him. “That means something is wrong; we have to change something. If everyone likes it, it means it’s mainstream. It means it’s conventional. It means it’s already pre-digested for people to like it. And I don’t want that.”
Despite Kojima’s fears of mainstream appeal, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach has earned a stellar Metacritic score of 90, cementing its status as one of 2025’s most critically acclaimed games.
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