Hideo Kojima’s games have long walked a tightrope between fetishising the military, and condemning humanity’s never-ending drive towards war. It’s perhaps best encapsulated by Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker where, in a drive for independence and self-determination, Big Boss ‘accidentally’ ends up creating an ungoverned militia with nuclear capability.
These themes were less prevalent in Death Stranding, mainly because it’s set in a world where the apocalypse has already happened. But anti-war sentiment remains a big theme for Kojima, and so it’s perhaps unsurprising that Kojima Productions has now announced the launch of a new piece of merch to raise funds for Ukrainians fleeing the war in Europe, and has also made a commitment to “provide support” to those who have evacuated from Ukraine to Japan.
KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS will provide support to those who have evacuated from Ukraine to Japan.
More details will be announced at a later date.Immigration Services Agency of Japan: https://t.co/CVUA8lQuur#KojimaProductions pic.twitter.com/PySs7wKtN3
— KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS (Eng) (@KojiPro2015_EN) June 20, 2022
The merchandise is a duraluminum Peace sign with a strap, called the Ludens Peace Mark Unit. All proceeds from the sale will be donated directly to those who have evacuated from Ukraine to Japan, it costs 5000 JPY (around $40), and it is expected to start shipping in August.
Kojima Productions is currently in the process of moving offices to a different part of Tokyo, and also shared a photo of its mascot wearing the peace sign.
Pre-order of the "LUDENS PEACE MARK UNIT” has started ☮️
KJP Tokyo office's Ludens statue has been updated too! ✋🌈🦀🐳☔️🌱🌪️👶👍
Click here for more information about this product, courtesy of Guild Design (@GILDdesigner) 👇https://t.co/ZUImK0fczP#KojimaProductions pic.twitter.com/E17aUrWneb— KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS (Eng) (@KojiPro2015_EN) June 21, 2022
Kojima Productions is currently working on Death Stranding 2, or at least that’s what Norman Reedus says, as well as annoying fanboys by signing up to make a game with Xbox.
The war in Ukraine continues with no end in sight. The games industry has generally taken a strong anti-war and pro-Ukraine position, and no wonder: As the formerly Kyiv-based GSC Game World shared recently, what is going on over there is inhuman.