Kojima Productions’ upcoming PS4 game Death Stranding is still mostly surrounded by a thick veil of mystery, and that includes its release window. Yet, Hideo Kojima appears to be in a teasing mood.

In a New Year message published on the latest issue of Famitsu, Kojima-san simply asked.

“Is 2019 the year of the Whale? Please look forward to Death Stranding!”

Of course, we can’t say for sure if the legendary creator of Metal Gear Solid is hinting to the possibility that Death Stranding may be released next year, but it’s certainly interesting.

According to the Chinese calendar, 2019 is actually the year of the Pig, but the image of the whale appears to link the year with Death Stranding. The first trailer of the game showcased beached whales, and the title “Death Stranding” is a reference to that image as well.

We should also keep in mind that Kojima-san loves to play with our minds. That’s not a secondary element of the equation.

At the moment, we can only speculate and hope, but you can check out the New Year card designed by Character and Mecha Designer Yoji Shinkawa, featuring Kojima Productions mascot Ludens below.

We do know that Death Stranding is coming to PS4. If you want to know more about the game, you can read some recent impressions by Head of Marketing and Communications Aki Saito and actor Norman Reedus, and check out a lovely Holiday card designed by Yoji Shinkawa. You can also enjoy a long gameplay video from E3 2018, a trailer from last year, and another from two years ago.

Source: Weekly Famitsu