Nintendo’s influence in gaming is legendary, and now it is being credited in the most unlikely of places: the PlayStation 5-exclusiveDeath Stranding 2.Hideo Kojima’s latest surreal action-adventure title is set to launch on June 26, but certain players can already dive intoDeath Stranding 2through early access. As Sam Porter Bridges, players will have to once again brave the elements and the haunting BTs to reconnect the shattered world, all while unraveling the mystery behind the disappearance of Lou, Sam’s BB companion from the previous game.
The world ofDeath Stranding 2is massive, and gamers who already have early access have noted a few surprising Easter eggs, including an unexpected reference to Nintendo. The game’s credits list Nintendo Pictures as having helped with the motion capture forDeath Stranding 2, which might come as a shock to many due toDeath Stranding 2being published by Sony, one of Nintendo’s biggest competitors in the console gaming market. While the originalDeath Strandingeventually crossed over to Windows PC and the Xbox Series X/S platforms, there is no sign that it or its upcoming sequel will be released on Nintendo hardware.
This hasn’t stopped Nintendo from being credited inDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach, andVGCexplains that this might be due to Nintendo Pictures' prior commitments from before it was acquired by Nintendo in 2022. Under its old name Dynamo Pictures, the studio worked on themotion capture for the originalDeath Stranding. As Nintendo Pictures, it has returned to do the same forDeath Stranding 2, despite working almost exclusively on Nintendo games over the past few years.
Death Stranding 2 Credits Nintendo Pictures for Motion Capture Work
Dynamo Pictures was a fairly prolific animation and motion capture company even before Nintendo acquired it, with its credits including games likeFinal Fantasy 13-2,Nier Replicant, andPersona 5. As Nintendo Pictures, it has worked on Nintendo-exclusive titles likeThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,Super Mario Bros. Wonder, andtheSuper Mario RPGremake. It has also worked on several non-gaming projects, including anime likeAppleseed XIIIandPretty Cure.
As forDeath Stranding 2, early reviews have been extremely positive ahead of the game’s full launch later this week, to the point where it is already being hailed asone of the highest-rated games of 2025so far. WhileDeath Stranding 2: On the Beachis published by Sony and exclusive to the PlayStation 5 at the moment, it owes part of its glowing reception to Nintendo, which is currently in the middle of its own big success with the launch of the Switch 2 console earlier this month.
