Hideo Kojima Fans Spot a Fun Similarity Between Death Stranding 2's Box Art and Metal Gear Solid 2

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’s new trailer dropped this weekend, bringing with it a release date, collector's edition details, box art, and more. Keen-eyed fans have already spotted a fun connection to director Hideo Kojima’s past work: Metal Gear Solid 2.

The Death Stranding 2 box art features Sam “Porter” Bridges (Norman Reedus) holding the child “Lou,” familiar to players of the first game. Reddit user ReverseTheFlash highlighted this similarity to a Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty slipcase, posting "He did it again," showcasing the striking compositional resemblance.

[The Reddit post is linked here, but cannot be displayed directly.]

The Metal Gear Solid 2 promotional image shows Japanese singer Gackt holding a child in a remarkably similar pose. While not identical, the parallels are undeniable and a fun observation. This also brings to mind a curious aspect of Metal Gear Solid’s (out-of-universe) history.

Gackt featured prominently in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty’s marketing campaign, including special slipcases in some regions, leading to years of intrigue and speculation among fans regarding this unusual promotional choice.

Kojima himself explained the connection in 2013: He chose Gackt for MGS2’s commercials because “MGS1 was about DNA & MGS2 MEME. DNA consists of ‘AGTC,’ adding ‘K’ of KOJIMA becomes ‘GACKT.’”

Given the strong Metal Gear influences evident in Death Stranding 2’s new trailer, these parallels are unsurprising. While likely coincidental or reflecting recurring thematic elements in Kojima’s work, the similarities are undeniably entertaining and offer a nostalgic trip down memory lane for fans, revisiting that memorable Gackt-featuring promotional art.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach releases on June 26, 2025, exclusively on PlayStation 5.