Hideo Kojima's Kojima Productions dropped a bombshell with the release of Death Stranding in 2019, captivating players with its expansive world and unique gameplay. Now, six years later, the highly anticipated sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, is set to launch this June.
But what really got everyone talking? The surprise appearance of hololive VTuber Usada Pekora in the game! Cover Corp, the agency behind hololive, recently published an interview with their staff, detailing the collaboration with Kojima Productions regarding Pekora's role in Death Stranding 2. And let's just say, they spilled some serious behind-the-scenes tea.
Director Hideo Kojima's initial connection with Pekora dates back to August 2024, when he posted on social media expressing his interest in her. Later, a photo of the two together at Kojima Productions HQ went public. Pekora's official announcement as a "Guest Prepper" in Death Stranding 2 then dropped in May 2025.
According to the newly released interview, Kojima Productions actually extended the invitation to Cover Corp around summer 2023. Their goal? To "showcase Pekora exactly as fans know her from her streams." Instead of providing a 3D model right away, they first sent Pekora's video footage to the Kojima Productions team as a reference. The actual recording work for Pekora's in-game appearance officially began around summer 2024.
The article also revealed that players can set a Pekora-themed exclusive wallpaper in their private room within the game. This cool feature came about because Director Kojima felt that "the background should feel just like her usual streams," leading to the version implemented in the game.
The official statement emphasized a crucial point for this collaboration: to delight existing fans while sparking positive curiosity in newcomers. To achieve this, they deliberately avoided making Pekora's initial appearance too jarring, instead integrating her naturally into the Death Stranding universe.
As players progress through missions, they'll unlock Pekora's hat, songs, and other fun "Easter eggs" that will make fans go, "Aha! I get it!" This collaboration has made Pekora a natural and familiar character for Death Stranding fans.
Director Hideo Kojima previously mentioned at an event that once a connection is forged, it's not easily broken. The same goes for the relationship born from this project; now it's about how deeply they can cultivate it.
If future opportunities arise to collaborate with Pekora or other hololive members, the official team expressed their eagerness to create something even more exciting than this project (lol).
This interview clearly shows both parties aimed to expand their respective fan bases through this collaboration, and they've certainly succeeded. So, if the Death Stranding series ever gets more sequels or spin-offs, seeing Pekora or other hololive members again might just be a strong possibility!
via： coveredge