Kojima Says His Next Horror Game Will Build In a Way Out For Players Who Get Too Scared

Hideo Kojima has offered new details on OD, the single-player horror project in development at Kojima Productions, telling reporters he is aiming to make it the scariest game yet released. Alongside that ambition, the director revealed the game will include a still-unnamed system designed to help players who find the experience too intense to finish — though he declined to explain how it will actually work.

Chasing a New Ceiling for Fear

Kojima, whose short-lived P.T. demo remains one of the most talked-about horror releases in recent memory, said he wants OD to go further than any horror game before it in terms of raw scariness. He did not attach a specific mechanic or comparison point to that goal, framing it instead as an overall target for the finished game. No release date has been set for OD, and Kojima Productions has not detailed a launch window.

A Deliberately Vague Safety Valve

The more unusual disclosure was that OD will include some kind of built-in accommodation for players who find the game too frightening to see through to the end. Kojima was careful not to describe what that system actually involves, saying he can't reveal much more without giving away too strong a hint about how it functions. He did indicate that it may not simply be a standard difficulty slider or an accessibility toggle in the conventional sense, suggesting the feature is tied more directly to how the horror itself is delivered or experienced rather than being a separate settings-menu option. That combination — pushing the scares as far as possible while simultaneously building in a mechanism to soften the blow for players who can't handle it — is an unusual pairing for a horror title, and Kojima's decision to withhold specifics has left the exact shape of the feature open to speculation for now.

Cast Anchored By Lillis, Schafer, and Kier

OD's three central roles are set to be played by Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and Udo Kier, whose recent death has made his involvement in the project part of the film and gaming press coverage surrounding OD. Beyond confirming the trio as the game's principal cast, no further plot or character details were shared. OD arrives as Kojima's follow-up to Death Stranding 2, which released in 2025, and the project has been linked to Xbox, though platform specifics beyond that association have not been formally detailed. With Kojima leaning on the reputation he built through P.T. to promise an unusually frightening experience, and with a mystery feature meant to soften that experience for players who need it, OD is shaping up to be one of the more closely watched horror releases once more concrete details — including a release date — are announced.