Hideo Kojima has been hanging out with CHVRCHES, leading to rumours of a ‘Death Stranding 2’ collab

Hideo Kojima has been hanging out with CHVRCHES, with fans speculating that the band could be involved with the soundtrack to Death Stranding 2.

CHVRCHES were behind the title track to Kojima’s 2019 Death Stranding, with Bring Me The Horizon, The S.L.P., Major Lazer and Khalid also contributing tracks to the companion soundtrack, ‘Timefall’.

CHVRCHES went on to perform the track live at the 2019 Game Awards and The Late, Late Show.

Now, Hideo Kojima has shared a photo of him hanging out with the band, leading many to think CHVRCHES will be involved with Death Stranding 2.

Kojima also shared a photo with CHVRCHES back in December, while his current Instagram story shows him listening to their 2013 single ‘The Mother We Share’.

Speaking about the original collaboration, CHVRCHES said: “We were really excited about the opportunity to work with Kojima because we have been fans of his work for a long time. He has always been such a visionary in the gaming world and we were honoured to be involved in the project.”

“The concept of Death Stranding is so unique and really felt to us like it was challenging people to care about the world they create — in the game and otherwise. We wrote this song specifically for Death Stranding, thinking of the themes of the game and what it is trying to say to people,” they continued.

Speaking to Dork, CHVRCHES’ Lauren Mayberry said: “It was one of those ‘can’t say no to this’ things. We would have been sad if we weren’t able to do it.”

Following the release of Death Stranding, CHVRCHES revealed it was “inevitable” they’d go on to score an entire video game.

Death Stranding 2, the sequel to Kojima’s post-apocalyptic epic, was announced at The 2022 Game Awards last month. The game, which doesn’t currently have a release date, will see the return of Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges, Troy Baker as Higgs and Léa Seydoux as Fragile while Elle Fanning and Shioli Kutsuna join the cast.

In a recent interview, Kojima confirmed that Death Stranding 2 had been “completely” re-written “from its themes, up”, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It was the same with 9/11. Fiction changes when something that big happens,” explained Kojima. “When something takes place that nobody thought was possible, works of fiction written before it become less effective as entertainment.”

CHVRCHES meanwhile are currently in Japan, touring in support of 2021’s ‘Screen Violence’.

Last year, they told NME they might play some ten-year anniversary shows for debut album ‘The Bones Of What You Believe’ in 2023.