These are the Best Secrets and Easter Eggs for Players to Find in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Hideo Kojima’s catalog of games is often cited as having some of the most serious and politically driven stories in all of gaming. Despite that, though, they’re also filled with ridiculous and hilarious Easter Eggs. From anime boxes in Metal Gear Solid V to hidden ghosts in the original Metal Gear Solid, there have always been fun secrets for players to find.

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This trend remains true in Death Stranding 2, which features a myriad of secrets for players to find during their long trek across Australia. While a list like this can only scratch the surface, and it’s heavily encouraged that you search for more on your own, here are seven hidden secrets and Easter Eggs in Death Stranding 2.

7

Junji Ito Art

Tomie Around the Corner

Death Stranding 2’s celebrity cameos are all about paying homage to directors, actors, and artists that Hideo Kojima is a fan of. However, not every celebrity being homaged gets to cameo directly, such as the famed manga artist Junji Ito. While Ito appeared in the first game, his appearance in Death Stranding 2 is limited to a single traveling suit that the player can wear.

This brilliantly drawn piece of equipment is covered in art by Ito, which appears to be of one of his most famed manga, Tomie. While this Junji Ito art is a fantastic homage, it can hardly be called a secret, as the player is required to at least unlock the suit during their playthrough of the game. Thus, it must fall squarely at the bottom of this list.

6

Peko Hat

Peko Peko Peko

While Usada Pekora’s cameo in Death Stranding 2 is a required part of the main story and thus cannot be considered an Easter Egg or secret, what many players may not see is what happens when you equip the [name] hat that she gives you when your bridge link with her reaches rank 2.

Putting on this hat will turn all of Sam’s normal travel dialogue into pekos, allowing players to share their love for Hideo Kojima’s favorite Vtuber at any and all times. Even the grunts Sam makes while stumbling are changed into Pekos, leading to hilarious situations where he is simply saying “Peko peko peko” as he falls down a mountain.

5

Pac-Man

Shaped Like a Pizza

One of the funniest people to deliver packages to in Death Stranding 2 is the Pizza Man in the center of the continent (who is played by the famed Mamoru Oshii). Delivering lost cargo to this man will not only lead to him teaching Sam Pizza Man Karate, but will also have him occasionally give pizzas to the player.

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On rare occasions, Sam’s pizza eating will be accompanied by the sounds of Pac-Man chomping ghosts and the iconic Namco mascot himself appearing on Sam’s thumb as he gives a like, music and all. This neat little crossover Easter Egg is sure to make players laugh in their seats.

4

Torii Gate

A Fascinating Landmark

One of the coolest Easter Eggs to find in the original Death Stranding was the large Torii gate that was sitting on the northern edge of the map, despite being a game that took place in America. Dedicated fans will be happy to learn that a very similar Easter Egg exists in Death Stranding 2, this time directly in the center of the map.

If the player were to travel off the main path toward near The Fisher, they would come across a gigantic lake made entirely of Tar. Sitting in the center of this lake is a Torii gate, which has no business being in Australia, but is still a fantastic set piece for those who want to play around with the game’s photo mode and let themselves get immersed in this open world.

3

Hideo Kojima Constellation

He’s Always Watching

Hideo Kojima has never been one to pass up an opportunity to cameo within his own games. This has been a tradition dating back to Metal Gear Solid 1, where he appeared as a ghost that the player could take a picture of. So it would only make sense that he would cameo somewhere within Death Stranding 2.

If the player were to soak in one of the game’s several hot springs and look up toward the sky, they will see a constellation which will take the form of Hideo Kojima himself. This is a wonderful and quite fun way of keeping this decades-long in-joke going for the new console generation.

2

Dollman’s Secret Dance

He’ll Stay By You

One of the coolest features in Death Stranding 2 is the ability to listen to music of your choice as you travel for deliveries, but what many players might not realize is that there’s a secret Easter Egg tied to this feature; it just requires the player to unlock the song Horizon Dreamer first.

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If the player were to head to their private room and listen to this song, they’ll notice that their companion Dollman, seems to enjoy it. Talking to Dollman as it’s playing will have him prompt the player to watch him dance, leading to one of the craziest cutscenes in the entire game. If you want a brief respite from all the deliveries you have been doing, absolutely set time aside to watch this Easter Egg.

1

A Familiar Phrase

Legacy Never Dies

As the game goes on, Death Stranding 2’s relationship with the fourth wall begins to deteriorate, similar to how it did in Metal Gear Solid 2. The game isn’t afraid to homage and make statements about and make homage to Hideo Kojima’s previous works, and this all comes to a head when a very familiar phrase gets uttered at a pivotal moment.

During a climactic encounter in the game, one character will face the camera and utter the phrase “Kept you waiting, huh?”. This is a major reference to the Metal Gear Solid franchise as Snake has been saying this phrase ever since the intro cutscene of Metal Gear Solid 2. It has become a sort of catchphrase for the franchise and even appears in Super Smash Bros trailers. Seeing it homaged in such a major way in Death Stranding 2 will make any player squeal in excitement.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Systems

Released

June 26, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language

Engine

Decima

Franchise

Death Stranding

Number of Players

Single-player

PS5 Release Date

June 26, 2025

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