Hideo Kojima Says a Google Stadia-Exclusive Death Stranding Sequel Was Never in the Works

Hideo Kojima has addressed the report that stated he was working with Google Stadia on an exclusive Death Stranding sequel, saying those rumors were "unfounded."

Kojima was speaking to The Game Awards' Geoff Keighley on his Spotify podcast Brain Structure and was asked about the report that said he was working on this project with Google before Stadia VP and general manager Phil Harrison made the final decision to cancel the project as the company didn't think a solo experience would sell well on the cloud platform.

"The rumor that Death Stranding, moreover a sequel, was in the works to be an exclusive title for Google is unfounded, and Phil Harrison ultimately rejecting that is quite impossible," Kojima said. "I’ve never once said anything to Phil about wanting to create a Death Stranding sequel. I don’t know who pulled this information from where.”

The report came out around the same time as the news that Google Stadia would officially be shut down on January 18, 2023. Google said the platform "hasn't gained the traction with users that we expected," and it informed its users that it would be refunding those who purchased either hardware or games from Google and Stadia.

This episode of Brain Structure was all about clearing up rumors, as Kojima also responded to the rumblings of his supposed involvement with Blue Box Game Studios' Abandoned and how many believed that it was actually a Silent Hill game in disguise.

He said that he was not involved in any way with Abandoned, and that his fans should know that, after the reveal of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain via the fake company Moby Dick Studio, he "wouldn't do the same thing twice."

We are still waiting to hear about the future of Death Stranding, even though the game's star Norman Reedus may have accidentally shared that he was working on a sequel. Kojima playfully responded to Reedus' comments, but didn't outright deny it.

Speaking of things that aren't ready to be talked about yet, Kojima's next game may have leaked online, and it appears to be a game called Overdose starring Death Stranding's Margaret Qualley.

Kojima has begun talking about one of his upcoming projects, and has revealed that Elle Fanning and Shioli Kutsuna will be part of it.

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.