Hideo Kojima, the visionary behind the Metal Gear series, recently shared insights into the grueling nature of game development and his thoughts on his future in the creative industry. In a series of posts on X/Twitter, Kojima disclosed that he's currently navigating the "crunch time" phase, a notoriously demanding period in game development, particularly for his upcoming project, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

Crunch time, where developers often work extended hours and even on days off, has been a contentious issue in the gaming industry, with many studios pledging to minimize or eliminate it following high-profile controversies. Kojima's candid admission about entering this phase is unusual, especially coming from a studio head. He detailed the multitude of tasks piling up, including mixing, Japanese voice recording, writing comments, explanations, essays, interviews, discussions, and other non-game-related work, describing it as "incredibly tough."

While Kojima didn't explicitly mention Death Stranding 2 in his posts, the timing suggests it's the project in question, as it's slated for release in 2025. Kojima Productions is also working on other titles, OD and Physint, but these appear to be in earlier stages of development without set release dates.

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

Despite the challenges of crunch time, it's not this period that has Kojima contemplating retirement. Instead, his recent purchase of a Ridley Scott biography prompted him to reflect on his own career. At 61, Kojima expressed concerns about how much longer he can remain creative, stating, "I want to keep going for the rest of my life, but is it 10 more years? 20? Every day feels like I’m racing against the clock." He drew inspiration from Ridley Scott, who at 87 remains active and created the masterpiece Gladiator past the age of 60.

Fans can take solace in knowing that Kojima is determined to continue his work, despite nearly four decades in the video game industry. In September, an extended look at Death Stranding 2 gameplay was released, showcasing the game's characteristic bizarre elements, including a super weird photo mode, dancing puppet men, and a character portrayed by George Miller, the director of Mad Max. An introduction to the story was shared in January, though many details remain under wraps due to the game's complex themes. Kojima has also confirmed which characters will not be returning. IGN's review of the first Death Stranding game gave it a 6/10, noting that while it offered a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, its gameplay struggled to support its ambitious narrative.