Guerrilla Games and Kojima Productions are two studios that have been making waves in the gaming world. Guerrilla Games rose to fame by developing Killzone, an FPS that takes players to alien lands. The studio veered in a new direction in 2017 by releasing Horizon Zero Dawn, a third-person adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic version of America where killer machines roam freely. Kojima Productions was formed after video game auteur Hideo Kojima left Konami. Death Stranding, the first game released by the studio, polarized gamers but nobody can deny it that is a unique game that transcends existing genres.
While the two studios may initially seem as though they are worlds apart, they share a deep history. Consequently, if one keeps an eye out, it is possible to find Horizon Zero Dawn Easter Eggs in Death Stranding and vice versa. Had these two studios not intertwined, the gaming landscape might have been very different today and some beloved games could have turned out differently.
Hideo Kojima's Departure From Konami
Kojima is perhaps most well known for the Metal Gear series which popularized the stealth genre of gaming. He describes himself as having a body that is 70% composed of movies, thus it is expected that the Metal Gear games include high-quality cinematics, and they often feel as though they are a merger of video games and film.
Although Kojima revolutionized gaming and left an indelible mark in its history, he found himself at odds with Konami, the studio he worked for, during the development of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Although the details surrounding the disagreements are murky, it is believed that the break in the relationship between Kojima and Konami occurred as a result of differing goals. While Kojima was still focused on making ambitious, cinematic games, Konami wanted to focus its resources on making mobile games.
Kojima found himself ousted from Konami and the "A Hideo Kojima Production" title was removed from the cover of Metal Gear Solid 5. To add insult to injury, when the game won in two categories at The Game Awards 2015 (Best Action Game and Best Score/Soundtrack), Kojima did not receive the award because Konami had forbidden him from attending the event. This would not spell the end for Kojima's career in gaming because he decided to start his own studio where he could have all the creative freedom possible.
Kojima Productions Crosses Paths With Guerrilla Games
In an interview with Time Magazine, Kojima revealed that after he departed from Konami, he was left feeling lonely and isolated. However, that feeling subsided when he realized that he was not truly alone because he had spent his career making connections with other creatives. His new studio went on a world tour to various video game development studios for research purposes. Eventually, Kojima visited Guerrilla Games.
Over in the Netherlands, Guerrilla Games had been hard at work on its own projects. This includes the creation of its own gaming engine. The engine which, in 2013, had no name, was first used for Killzone: Shadow Fall which was a PlayStation 4 launch title. The engine is noteworthy for its wide range of tools and its ability to create impressive graphics. Since Killzone, the engine has found use in several games including Until Dawn and the VR game Until Dawn: Rush of Blood.
When Kojima visited Guerrilla Games, Hermen Hulst was managing director of the studio. What was supposed to be a brief visit turned into a longer encounter lasting days. By the end of it, Hulst decided to give the engine to Kojima Productions. Kojima's studio was extremely grateful and, according to Hulst, "they just couldn't believe that a studio like us would just hand that to them."
Guerrilla Games was equally as enamored of Kojima and his studio, and it decided to name its engine the Decima Engine. The name was inspired by Japan's Dejima Trading Post, a location with a rich history. Dejima, which is an artificial island, was built in 1634 and was initially used for Portuguese traders. By 1641, the island was being used by the Dutch and for years it was Japan's only connection to the Western world. Eventually, after Japan's era of national isolation was over, Dejima was merged into Nagasaki. Dejima, much like the Decima Engine, represents a relationship between Japan and the Netherlands.
Kojima Productions and Guerrilla Games Forge a Friendship
The relationship between Guerrilla Games and Kojima Productions proved to be very beneficial for both studios. Developers from Guerrilla Games regularly traveled to Japan to help Kojima Productions with engine support. The newly founded studio greatly benefitted from the knowledge and expertise of Guerrilla Games. However, Kojima is no stranger to proprietary engines thanks to his work on the Fox Engine used for the development of Metal Gear Solid 5. Hence, Guerrilla Games also gained knowledge by working with Kojima Productions, and the studio was able to improve the Decima Engine.
Kojima Productions and Guerrilla Games' friendship can be seen in the games the studios have developed with the Decima Engine. In 2019, Kojima Productions released Death Stranding, a game that draws inspiration from Kojima's period of loneliness and the lessons he learned about the value of human connections. Guerrilla Games was a collaborator in the development of Death Stranding and, consequently, references to Horizon Zero Dawn can be found in Death Stranding. When certain in-game structures are upgraded enough, holograms of Horizon Zero Dawn machines can be displayed, including the majestic Tallneck. Aloy, who is Horizon Zero Dawn's heroine, can also be found in one of the bunkers scattered throughout Death Stranding's map.
In Horizon Zero Dawn, there are Death Stranding Easter eggs although they are a little more subtle. A necklace belonging to Sam Bridges, the protagonist of Death Stranding, can be found in Aloy's game. The stranded figure, which is a creepy doll from Death Stranding, can also be found, as well as the shackles that are worn by Sam.
Guerrilla Games and Kojima Productions illustrate that although the gaming world can be very competitive, it also provides opportunities for deep friendships to be formed. In the same way that the thrill of competition can result in camaraderie among players, it can also inspire connections between studios.