It's not uncommon for Hideo Kojima to base his stories on real-world events, social issues, and technological advancements, despite the fact that his narratives are often science fiction and supernatural in nature and therefore exaggerate said occurrences. He has even joked before about accidentally "predicting" the COVID-19 pandemic with the release of Death Stranding, which highlighted the issues of isolation and fragile supply chains. However, that game's upcoming sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, is primed to hit closer to home than many of Kojima's games ever have, if its recent pre-order trailer is anything to go by.