Hideo Kojima, the visionary behind the Metal Gear series, recently expressed concerns about his creative longevity while revealing that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is currently in the demanding "crunch time" phase of development.

Kojima's reflections, shared via a series of X/Twitter posts, highlight the intense pressures of game development. He described "crunch" as the most physically and mentally demanding period, encompassing not only game development tasks but also a multitude of other responsibilities like writing, interviews, and other non-game related work.

While Kojima didn't explicitly name Death Stranding 2 as the project undergoing crunch, its 2025 release date makes it the most likely candidate. His other projects, OD and Physint, are seemingly in earlier stages of development.

The most demanding period of game development—both physically and mentally—commonly known as “crunch time.” On top of mixing and Japanese voice recording, there’s an inevitable pile of other tasks: writing comments, explanations, essays, interviews, discussions, and… https://t.co/FrXRgaS748

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) January 10, 2025

Interestingly, Kojima's contemplation of retirement isn't solely attributed to the current crunch. Instead, it seems spurred by reading a Ridley Scott biography, prompting him to reflect on his own career and how much longer he can maintain his creative drive. At 61, he questions whether he has 10, 20, or more years of creative energy left. However, he draws inspiration from Scott's continued success at 87, citing Gladiator as an example of Scott's creative prowess even past the age of 60.

Fans can rest assured; Kojima remains committed to his craft, despite a nearly four-decade career in the video game industry.

Death Stranding 2's gameplay, showcased in September, remains as unconventional as expected, featuring unique elements like a peculiar photo mode and appearances by figures like Mad Max director George Miller. While some story details emerged in January, much remains shrouded in mystery. Kojima has, however, confirmed which characters will not be returning. The original Death Stranding received a 6/10 rating from IGN, praising its world-building but criticizing its gameplay.