The Game Awards Geoff Keighley, the main guy, announced on Twitter that he got his 2025 holiday card from Hideo Kojima. The annual tradition has not changed and still goes on! To put it simply, Hideo Kojima, the mastermind behind not only Death Stranding but also the Metal Gear series, has been sending such extravagant Christmas cards to his family, friends, and work partners every year. And Keighley seems to be one of the lucky ones, which, of course, causes a small uproar in the internet gaming community.
The tweet was just a simple one, showing the card with the traditional Kojima Productions Ludens mascot on it. However, the replies, I mean, the replies. The replies are the ones where the story is actually hidden. It can be compared to a micro-therapy session for the gaming community’s collective consciousness scanning their feelings about gaming, Kojima, and award shows.
Detective mode is engaged immediately by the people. A user called Glitchy asked, ‘Is it a Christmas card from Kojima? The hype is definitely there. What secrets are hidden in the art this year?’ This user came straight to the point with the question. With Kojima, nothing is simple and straightforward. It is definitely a cryptic message about the next game, right? Maybe the color of Ludens’s helmet is a hex code that indicates the release date. Or the stars in the background are telling the secret of the OD plot. Gamers are always on the hunt for those easter eggs, even in Christmas greetings.
And then there is the whole… friendship between Geoff and Kojima which has become a subject. It’s a major issue. One user, P🅰ZZ🅰-🅻🅰🅳, wrote, ‘This guy is obsessed with @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN geoff he isn’t interested in men that way. Go find a woman.’ Well, that is a viewpoint. A very online viewpoint. But it shows how some people interpret their public rapport. Another user, Franᶻ 𝗓 𐰁, seemed quite shocked to find out that they were still pals. So, they asked, ‘You’re still friends???? … W’. As if there had been some drama that we all missed? The internet never forgets, but sometimes it just creates stuff.
However, the most consistent theme across all the comments is related to The Game Awards. It appears that this card has reminded everyone of the show, and very quickly. User Mirokunite was very optimistic in his prediction: ‘I’m saying it ahead of time. Whenever the next Kojima game comes, Geoff will give it all the awards without a second thought.’ Ouch. That is a commonly held sentiment. Some gamers are vocal that part of the reason why Keighley is giving so little the awards to Kojima’s projects is the belief that he is supporting them at TGA. True or not, the perception exists that this Christmas card is only adding to that fire.
While discussing TGA, Gemini Jack shot a direct arrow at this year’s show. He responded, ‘Should’ve ended TGA with this instead of Highguard.’ For those not in the loop, the last Game Awards finished with a Highguard game reveal that, to be honest, did not create much hype. So, the suggestion is there that a simple, yet, cool Kojima card would have been a better ending. Nevertheless, the statement is harsh, yet humorous.
And of course, the awards question was even more straightforward. MARCOSMCFLY_ was the one who voiced the question that many had in mind: ‘Will Kojima ever get the GOTY throne, Geoff?’ Death Stranding was nominated but it lost the main award in 2019 to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Thus, for some players, it seems like an open story. Will OD or whatever comes next be the one finally? The holiday card is not an answer but it surely keeps the discussion alive.
The usual raising up of moral values was also observed. Ryan Corniel made a lifetime goal: ‘Goals for 2026. Be on the Kojima Holiday list.’ Honestly, that’s the mood. And LedZepCL just said, ‘Your best friend forever,’ which is kind of nice in its simplicity. Sega Swole even created a hilarious edit that was picturing Geoff with an extremely serious face while unwrapping the card, which is probably very close to reality.
So what’s the big deal? What is the reason that a holiday card generates such a stir? The answer is that to a good number of Hideo Kojima is not just a game designer. He is a phenomenon. He is an enigma. He is a trademark. He is a genius and everything that he does is extraordinary.
