Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima has reflected on turning 63 and what he wants to do next, in the years he has left remaining.
Amid birthday congratulaitons from other industry creatives, Kojima reflected upon the passing of time and Kojima Productions' own 10th anniversary celebration, while noting that he would continue to focus on game development despite various other "opportunities."
"As I get older, the things I 'have to do' and the things I 'want to do' continue to increase," Kojima wrote via posts on both his Japanese and English X/Twitter accounts. "At the same time, the time I 'have to do them' continues to decrease. I constantly need to reassess how I use my time and how I live my life."
Still, Kojima said that his main goal will still be making games — and noted that once he took on a project, he needed to see it through to the end. (Was this a reference to his upcoming Xbox horror project OD, which we've not seen more of in a little while?) "While I continue to receive various opportunities and offers, I would like to remain focused on creating games," he continued.
Apparently, Kojima spent his birthday morning listening to Ultravox’s Vienna single on vinyl. His Kojima Productions colleagues, meanwhile, gave him a custom cake featuring a photo of himself, dressed in police uniform. Why? Well, this is an image of Kojima as he appeared in Japanese TV drama Vivant, in which he had a recent cameo as Tokyo’s police chief. Reportedly, he was digitally aged up for this bit part — as apparently he looked "too young" for the role.
Vivant's director Yohei Miyazaki (who previously guested on Kojima's radio show KOJI10) also wished Kojima a happy birthday: "Although he seems so much younger in terms of sensibility, outlook and appearance, the things he's done are so legendary that it’s mind-numbing," Miyazaki gushed, adding that he would continue to root for Kojima Productions in the future.
Other birthday greetings followed from gaming industry luminaries such as Kojima's BFF Geoff Keighley and the upcoming Watch Dogs movie director Mathieu Turi, both of whom shared photos with the Policenauts creator.
2026 is a big year for Hideo Kojima, as it also marks 40 years since he started making games back at Konami and 10 years since he founded Kojima Productions. As part of his studio's own anniversary, Kojima revealed that the Azabudai Hills Gallery in Tokyo will hold a special 10th Anniversary Exhibition for the company from the end of October through December 2026. So, if you are a Kojima fan who happens to be in Tokyo, it might be worth swinging by.
After the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach last year, Kojima has continued to work on OD. The upcoming Xbox-exclusive still doesn't have a release date, however Kojima has promised that it will deliver a unique experience. Back in June, he said: "I can't reveal much detail, but it's something that no one has ever seen before. A new game system."
Past Kojima games have certainly played with the player and broken the fourth wall in interesting ways. For me, my first memorable Kojima moment was Metal Gear Solid’s Psycho Mantis 'reading my mind' (i.e. memory card), and having to get up and switch my PS1 controller to the other port to defeat him. What stand-out moment in a Kojima game left a mark on you as a player?
Image credit: Hideo Kojima
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
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