Hideo Kojima revealed that he cut a groundbreaking customization feature from Death Stranding 2 because of Norman Reedus. According to the Metal Gear Solid creator, he was concerned that players might get too carried away with changing the appearance of the Walking Dead actor.
We Could Have Had Emo Norman Reedus In ‘Death Stranding 2’
In a recent interview, Kojima opened up about what players can expect to see in Death Stranding 2. However, during the conversation, he revealed that the game originally included a complex hair growth feature. The mechanic would have allowed Sam’s hair and beard to grow throughout the game, and players could even stylize it. The only problem? Kojima feared that players would make Norman Reedus unrecognizable by altering his character’s hair.
You can read a translation of the interview from Genki here: “Hideo Kojima says they actually made a hair growth system for Death Stranding 2 but scrapped it in the end because they are using a superstar like Norman Reedus in the game! Kojima explained that the system would let Sam’s hair and beard grow long over time and the player could choose to cut it at the mirror if they wanted to. The system even allowed players to dye Sam’s hair different colors like blonde or red so they were worried people might get carried away.”
So yeah, we totally could have had an emo or boy band version of Norman Reedus in Death Stranding 2. Come on, you all know I’m right. Obviously Kojima didn’t say “emo” specifically. But this would have been the first thing I’d do in the game—grow out that mop on Sam’s head and dye it jet black or red. Unfortunately, Emo Reedus is not to be, as the hair customization feature was ultimately dropped. Perhaps it was for the best, though. I mean, have you seen how ridiculous Arthur Morgan can look in Red Dead Redemption 2 when players neglect his hair?
Kojima Has An Obsession With Aging Lately
This isn’t the first time Kojima has explored aging mechanics in games. Earlier this month, the Metal Gear Solid creator shared a pitch for an aging game. In that project, the protagonist would gradually lose physical abilities—like eyesight and memory—the longer you played. The project would have asked players to also wait a decade before it became a 100-scored game on Metacritic!
While not as extreme, it seems Kojima wanted to implement another aging feature in Death Stranding 2 with the hair growth system. It would’ve been interesting to see how Sam evolved as you progressed through the story. But it’s also understandable why Kojima wouldn’t want players to drastically alter the appearance of a high-profile actor like Reedus.
Even though we won’t be getting haircuts in Death Stranding 2, the game still looks packed with groundbreaking features. One of the most intriguing is its photo mode. Unlike in most games, where it’s a static feature, DS2 appears to expand on it significantly. Characters seem to react naturally during photo sessions—as if they’re alive—when taking group shots or selfies.So, while the hair growth mechanic was scrapped, I’m still excited to see what other unique ideas Kojima has cooked up for us.
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