Following Hideo Kojima's split from Konami, many fans were excited to see what Kojima could achieve as an independent developer, and his new studio's debut game did not disappoint. Death Stranding immediately captivated audiences from the moment its first teaser dropped, even to a re-release with Death Stranding: Director's Cut. The game blended the surrealism and somber beauty of a world drifting in the post-apocalypse with a hardy optimism for humanity's future by coming together, released at a time when Kojima saw the real world as divided and in need of unity.