Nintendo’s influence in gaming is legendary, and now it is being credited in the most unlikely of places: the PlayStation 5-exclusive Death Stranding 2. Hideo Kojima’s latest surreal action-adventure title is set to launch on June 26, but certain players can already dive into Death Stranding 2 through early access. As Sam Porter Bridges, players will have to once again brave the elements and the haunting BTs to reconnect the shattered world, all while unraveling the mystery behind the disappearance of Lou, Sam’s BB companion from the previous game.
The world of Death Stranding 2 is massive, and gamers who already have early access have noted a few surprising Easter eggs, including an unexpected reference to Nintendo. The game’s credits list Nintendo Pictures as having helped with the motion capture for Death Stranding 2, which might come as a shock to many due to Death Stranding 2 being published by Sony, one of Nintendo’s biggest competitors in the console gaming market. While the original Death Stranding eventually crossed over to Windows PC and the Xbox Series X/S platforms, there is no sign that it or its upcoming sequel will be released on Nintendo hardware.
Related
Death Stranding 2 Suddenly Has Surprising Competition
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is set to launch later this month, but a recent announcement presents an unexpected competitor.
This hasn’t stopped Nintendo from being credited in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and VGC explains that this might be due to Nintendo Pictures’ prior commitments from before it was acquired by Nintendo in 2022. Under its old name Dynamo Pictures, the studio worked on the motion capture for the original Death Stranding. As Nintendo Pictures, it has returned to do the same for Death Stranding 2, despite working almost exclusively on Nintendo games over the past few years.
Death Stranding 2 Credits Nintendo Pictures for Motion Capture Work
Dynamo Pictures was a fairly prolific animation and motion capture company even before Nintendo acquired it, with its credits including games like Final Fantasy 13-2, Nier Replicant, and Persona 5. As Nintendo Pictures, it has worked on Nintendo-exclusive titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and the Super Mario RPG remake. It has also worked on several non-gaming projects, including anime like Appleseed XIII and Pretty Cure.
As for Death Stranding 2, early reviews have been extremely positive ahead of the game’s full launch later this week, to the point where it is already being hailed as one of the highest-rated games of 2025 so far. While Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is published by Sony and exclusive to the PlayStation 5 at the moment, it owes part of its glowing reception to Nintendo, which is currently in the middle of its own big success with the launch of the Switch 2 console earlier this month.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Released
-
June 26, 2025
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Engine
-
Decima
- Franchise
-
Death Stranding
- Number of Players
-
Single-player
- PS5 Release Date
-
June 26, 2025
