Character Models in Death Stranding 2 Created Using AI

Hideo Kojima revealed that the acclaimed hyper-realistic character models in Death Stranding 2 were created using an “AI machine learning rig” to capture and digitize his celebrity collaborators. However, he is still not fully satisfied with the results. Speaking at the New Global Sport Conference in Riyadh alongside Nicolas Winding Refn, Kojima explained how his team scanned actors into digital form while ensuring their movements remained natural and “analog.” The process, which took significant time and effort, pushed realism far beyond the original Death Stranding. Yet Kojima admitted the visuals are only “okay” by his standards, saying he wants future projects to be even more lifelike. He has already drafted a concept for Death Stranding 3, but hopes someone else will develop it.

GamesRadar+, Scott McCrae – Hideo Kojima used “an AI machine learning rig” to painstakingly download his celebrity friends to Death Stranding 2, but he wasn’t happy with it: “I think I want to make it more realistic” – 31st August 2025