Hideo Kojima revealed a hidden cutscene in Death Stranding 2 that triggers on the player’s real birthday and shared raw behind-the-scenes footage of its filming. Kojima Productions says the scene came from a staged “one more take” that turned into a genuine cake surprise for actress Elle Fanning, with a last-minute stand-in covering a motion-capture role.
In a Twitter post, Kojima outlined how the production asked for an extra take while secretly preparing a cake, then used that spontaneous take in the game. The short clip, also posted by the studio, focuses on Fanning and the moment the crew reveals the surprise.
Kojima described that the approved take was already complete, yet the crew asked for an extra attempt while they prepared the cake off-camera. The clip used in the final game is that surprise take blown up into a playable moment. “Me!?” Fanning exclaims when she realizes what’s happening. She says “Thank you.” The team also noted a cast substitution after the original actor couldn’t make the motion-capture session due to COVID, so a colleague stepped in to finish the role.
Fans have been dissecting small production details and wardrobe notes, as several threads point out. Death Stranding fans love to point out tiny continuity and performance flourishes, and even a sideways look at Kojima’s public praise for performers. As Metal Gear Solid turns 27 years old, it highlights the director’s tendency to lavish actors with compliments, which shows up again in the backstage clip.
For players, the practical takeaway is simple: if the system knows the date, it may trigger a personal in-game moment that came from a real on-set surprise rather than staged CGI, and that human flare survives into the final product. The clip adds texture to the release by revealing an odd little production choice that ended as a small, tender beat in a much larger game.
Share your thoughts in the comments about Kojima’s surprise cutscene on X and Bluesky and mention whether the birthday beat felt earned or staged.
