Hideo Kojima Loved Whalefall, but It Ruined Eating Squid for Him

Updated: Oct 19, 2026 5:35pm UTCCyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 has cast Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima in a role that will see him reprise his part from Cyberpunk 2077. Series game developer CD Projekt Red confirmed the news in a social media post on X/Twitter. The message teased that it's more than a throwaway part, too, as Kojima will be seen playing "the famous braindance director who was at Konpeki Plaza in Cyberpunk 2077" (via X's machine translation). The real-life game director was quick to respond and share his excitement, as well as a few pictures from his time recording his lines. His full statement, minus a few fun emojis, is as follows: "I make a cameo appearance in the anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 as Hideyoshi Oshima, the character who appeared in the previous game. "I make a cameo appearance in the anime series “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2” as Hideyoshi Oshima, the character who appeared in the previous game. 🙏🙇🏻😅🫶👍 https://t.co/OuUaazFfR4— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) October 19, 2026 Cyberpunk 2077 players were treated to an unexpected visit from the Kojima Productions lead when they first traveled to Night City back in 2020.

Cyberpunk Edgerunners’ second season is out tomorrow, and while I didn’t love the 10-episode story, I’m always down to return to Night City. There are so many familiar sights, and sometimes familiar faces, to see every time we go back. This time, you might recognize one face from not only Cyberpunk 2077, but also from belonging to one of the biggest names in the video game industry. Hideo Kojima, the director of the Metal Gear series, Death Stranding, and the upcoming, Xbox-led Physint, makes a brief appearance in Cyberpunk 2077 as Hideyoshi Oshima, a braindance producer who is visiting Night City during the events of the “Heist” quest. You can find him talking to other hotel guests as you scope out the area while on a job. The character has Kojima’s likeness, so if you know of the guy, it’s easy to spot him. Fast forward six years, and Hideyoshi appears once more in Edgerunners II. I was surprised when I saw him, and then just as the review embargo dropped early this morning, CD Projekt Red confirmed that yep, Kojima did return for the cameo. Spotting a familiar face, chooms? 👀 You may remember seeing him in Konpeki Plaza during The Heist in 2077.

If you went back in time and asked my teenage self to picture what video games would look like in 20 years, my vision would likely resemble Stupid Never Dies. In many ways, it feels like the logical evolution of the games I loved as a kid: a colorful brawler with snazzy visuals, a juvenile sense of humor custom-made for a teen boy, and, of course, zombies. But after spending 26 miserable hours with Stupid Never Dies, I’m so glad that video games have mostly moved past my dumbest desires. Dated doesn’t begin to describe the debut action RPG from GPTRACK50, a new studio founded by former Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi. Style points only count for so much in a downright regressive action game that’s saddled with a supremely uncomfortable story, a repetitive faux-roguelike hook, and unresponsive combat that wastes some good RPG depth. It’s the kind of game I might have loved as a kid with a low bar for quality, and one that I’d have to make a lot of excuses for loving as an adult who knows better.

Michael McWhertor is a New York-based journalist and editor with more than 20 years of experience covering games, industry events, technology, movies, and TV. Capcom's fighting game franchise is doing better than ever

With generative AI becoming more and more of an issue for creatives in all industries, voice actors in Japan are finding their own way to fight back against the unauthorized use of their voices. Last week, the union representing Japanese voice actors issued its own guidelines regarding the use of AI, as a number of actors spoke about the personal and professional challenges they’ve faced due to the technology. Voice actors in Japan have been taking a stand against the unauthorized use of their voice for a number of years. In 2024, a group of voice actors came together to create their own organization protesting AI voice misuse, specifically citing the lack of legal copyright protections. One voice actor, Kenjiro Tsuda, known for voice roles in Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, and Yu-Gi-Oh!, even sued TikTok regarding the proliferation of videos using his voice on social media, though the case was dismissed once the videos were removed. While some voice actors have advocated for systems allowing for private, licensed use of AI to replicate performers’ voices, the general view of the technology among voice actors in Japan is that it could steal their work and future opportunities.

Out of all my hobbies, there isn’t a single thing that I can point to as the “big bang” moment when my interest in it sparked. All with one exception, board games, and that flash of inspiration was the first time I played Arkham Horror 2nd Edition from Fantasy Flight Games, back around 2008. One of my earliest Facebook photos is of me and my friends sitting around the dining room table at my mom’s with our standees lined up facing the Cthulhu's giant card as we made our final stand. Now, that same edition that sparked my love for the hobby has its sights on coming back as Arkham Horror Remastered and its campaign that will help make it a reality is launching in just a few short days over on Gamefound. IGN had a chance to speak with members of Fantasy Flight Game’s team about the project, the first in what they are calling their “Vault Series”. “Arkham Horror 2nd Edition is a cornerstone of the industry that paved the way for many modern gaming experiences. “This revived version of the much beloved Second Edition of Arkham Horror marks the first release in what Fantasy Flight Games has dubbed its “Vault Series”.