Anyone who has watched The Game Awards will know about Geoff Keighley - the show's executive producer and host. While his past work as a host for GameTrailers TV and G4tv.com as well as his freelance articles for other gaming websites deserve praise, Keighley's other claim to fame is his undying friendship and obsession with game director Hideo Kojima. According to an interview with IGN, Geoff Keighley states that the friendship dates back to 2001 when he interviewed Kojima for Gamespot's "The Final Hours of Metal Gear Solid 2." Thanks to their shared love of Western culture (namely movies and other forms of entertainment), the two hit it off.

Keighley was already a fan of Kojima's work, and Kojima, being a supporter of big game reveals, would in turn support Keighley's future endeavors with The Game Awards. As both their careers grew, their friendship became more prominent (Keighley mentions that the rise of social media might have had a hand in this). In commemoration of this friendship, Kojima's Death Stranding doesn't just give a nod to Geoff Keighley, it actually puts him in the game.

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A Man Obsessed With Ludens

kojima productions ludens trailer

The Ludens Fan is a prepper located off the beaten path in Death Stranding's Eastern Region. Players can interact with this fine fellow by delivering him stray containers addressed to him or by completing the missions he assigns via the terminal located in his shelter. Delivering enough cargo allows players to hook him up to the United Cities of America (UCA) network, providing him with the country's data and resources and players with a place to fabricate and store their equipment. Connecting him to the UCA also clears up his chiral projection, revealing that the Ludens Fan is modeled by none other than Geoff Keighley himself. While Keighley provides the character model, the Ludens Fan is voiced by Matthew Mercer - the voice of Overwatch's Cassidy and a famous dungeon master in the Critical Role streaming show.

The Ludens Fan shares his facial counterpart's obsession with Hideo Kojima's work (though it isn't explicitlysaid). As his namesake implies, he is a big fan of Ludens - the Kojima Productions mascot, and as such, gives tasks to Sam that are Ludens-related. Players will find themselves delivering and retrieving packages that contain Ludens-themed posters, figures, and video games to the Ludens Fan and other preppers and facilities around the Eastern Region. One delivery is special, as the Ludens Fan sends a special email that tasks Sam with delivering a Ludens Flag to Viktor in Port Knot City. Players receive an email afterward that talks about the importance of "rediscovering play"- something Kojima sees as the ethos of the Kojima Productions mascot and company.

Making Ludens Deliveries Nets Ludens Rewards

new order for sam in death stranding

Completing deliveries for the Ludens Fan increases players' connection to him, which in turn leads to some exclusive rewards. Players can receive the Coyote Brown color scheme for their Death Stranding backpack, Ludens Mask sunglasses, Sam sunglasses, and cap, but the best rewards come in the form of Ludens-themed holograms. The Nendoroid Jumbo Ludens hologram is one of the biggest holograms players can use to customize their structures. After upgrading a bridge or a safe house to level 2 with materials, they can commission one of them to look over the structure and welcome visiting players. Players can also get a hologram of the Ludens Fan himself, which they can use to turn Geoff Keighley into a bonafide bodyguard that watches over their creations.

From being a journalist to a character in a video game, Geoff Keighley's relationship with Hideo Kojima definitely comes with its perks. While Kojima won't be talking as much about Keighley as the other gushes about him, it's nice to know that he acknowledges their friendship by doing it in the most video game way possible.

Death Stranding is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5.

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