Death Stranding 2: All cameos explained

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is absolutely filled with all of the things director Hideo Kojima likes, and he has said as much in interviews — if he likes something, he’ll put it in the game. That includes celebrities, musicians, artists, and more. Death Stranding 2’s facilities and settlements are spread across a compact strip of Mexico and Australia, and almost every settlement has a unique character to manage the facility that is, usually, a real celebrity that Kojima is a fan of.

In this guide we’re explaining every cameo in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, from Lauren Tsai to Usada Pekora and everyone between. 

All cameos in Mexico – DS2

This is every facility cameo in the small Mexico portion of Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.

Ciudad Nudo del Norte, Norberto Puente - Ian Spriggs

Ian Spriggs is a 3D portrait character artist that visited Kojima in March 2023.

Villa Libre, La Madre - Molly Quinn

American actress best known for Castle and Winx Club.

The Bokka - Robbie Daymond

Robbie Daymond portrays The Bokka, and is known for voice acting in anime, video games, and in the hit DnD series Critical Role.

C1 South Distribution Center, Benjamin Rivera - Ray Khalastchi

Ray works at the PlayStation studio XDEV.

The Artist, Lauren Tsai - Lauren Tsai

Lauren Tsai is a Chinese-American actress, artist, and model, and she voices herself. An amazing talent.

Former Geophysics Lab, Alex Weatherstone - Errolson Hugh

Hugh is a designer known for the brand Acronym, which heavily influences the style of Kojima and Death Stranding.

All cameos in Australia – DS2

This is every facility cameo in the long stretch that is Australia in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.

The Lone Commander - Colas Koola

Kojima must’ve been a big fan of the game Stray, because several team members from BlueTwelve Studio are present in Death Stranding 2, starting with co-director Colas Koola.

Western Observatory, Peter Gates - Olivier Pichard

Pichard is one half of the Atelier Sento, the French art studio.

The Musician, Gen Hoshino - Gen Hoshino

Gen Hoshino is a real-life musician and even made music for the original Death Stranding soundtrack, but is better known internationally for anime like Spy X Family.

West Fort Knot F1, Olivia Westbury - Kate Siegel

Kate Siegel is an actress best known for The Haunting anthology series which includes The Haunting of Hill House.

Rainbow Valley, Glenn Rain - Craig Malanka

Malanka was vice president of global marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment, leaving earlier this year.

The Inventor - Jon McElroy

McElroy is a game developer and director, formerly of Annapurna Interactive, currently at Fictions.

Animal Shelter, Staff - CHVRCHES

The three Animal Shelter Staff members are just Lauren, Iain, and Martin of the band Chvrches, who have contributed to the Death Stranding 2 soundtrack. Kojima has posted about the band multiple times, including when they visited the studio in 2019.

South Distribution Centre F2, Samson Hook - Ma Dong-seok

Ma Donk-seok is a Korean actor best known for Train to Busan.

The Dowser - Cécile Brun

Brun is an artist and animation director who Kojima is a fan of.

Heartman’s Lab, The Hydrologist - Liv Corfixen

Corixen is actually the wife of actor Nicholas Winding Refn, which is where Heartman’s likeness comes from. This explains why Heartman expresses affection for The Hydrologist in the game.

The Pizza Chef - Mamoru Oshii

Mamoru Oshii is a legendary writer and director, best known for 1995’s Ghost in the Shell. It definitely explains his incredible introductory action scene in Death Stranding 2.

The Data Scientist - Usada Pekora

Hideo Kojima has gone on the record saying that he was a big fan of seeing Usada Pekora stream the original Death Stranding, and that’s why she takes up the role of The Data Scientist in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. Sam can even wear a hat inspired by her, and he’ll occasionally say “peko.”

The Architect - Yusaku Matsumoto

Japanese director Yusaku Matsumoto takes the role of The Architect, and is known for several films including Bless You, Winny, and Noise.

East Distribution Centre F5, Viktor Frank - Claude Patrick

Canadian actor Claude Patrick returns to reprise the role of Viktor Frank from the original game.

The Motherhood, The Doctor - Debra Wilson

You likely recognized Debra Wilson from several games like Doom: The Dark Ages, Destiny 2, Call of Duty, Forspoken, Star Wars Jedi, and many, many more. She’s a true professional and delivers a fantastic performance here.

The Pioneer - Edward Saito

Saito is a producer at Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The Mechanic - Yoann Lemoine (Woodkid)

Lemoine, best known as Woodkid, has been leading the way for DS2 orchestral soundtrack, in addition to providing several tracks of his own.

The Metagenomicist - Lola Winding Refn

Nicholas Winding Refn and his wife Liv Corfixen star in Death Stranding 2, so sure, their daughter is here too.

The Chronobiologist - Lizzielou Corfixen

Credited as “Lizzie Lou Winding Refn,” Lizzie is another of Nicholas and Liv’s daughters, and is an accomplished young actress in her own right.

The Ghost Hunter - Kevin Ko

Kevin Ko is a Taiwanese filmmaker best known for Incantation.

South Fort Knot F4, Leon Easton - Vivien Mermet-Guyenet

Here’s another co-director of Stray from BlueTwelve Studio.

The Phantom Smith - Takahiro Miura

Miura is a Japanese actor that you may have seen in the live-action Attack on Titan movies or Shin Godzilla, but Kojima likely included him in the game as he was the lead star in 2003’s Winny, directed by Yusaku Matsumoto, who is The Architect.

The Tar Therapist - Koichi Yamanoha (Grimm Grimm)

Yamanoha is a Japan-born London-based musician that releases music under the name Grimm Grimm.

South Fort Knot F6, Pierre Southern - Bastien Dausse

Dausse is a French artistic director and acrobat.

South Observatory, Gregory Southall - Neil Johnson

Neil Johnson is a senior producer at XDEV who has been actively working on Death Stranding 2.

North Distribution Centre F7, Bianca North - Laurie Jezequel

Jezequel is a producer at XDEV in Tokyo.

BPAS - Zac Garred

Garred is an Australian actor and producer best known for Occupation and NCIS: Los Angeles.

The Adventurer - S.S. Rajamouli

Rajamouli is an Indian filmmaker best known for 2022’s acclaimed hit RRR.

Eastern Observatory, Ridge Frost - Swann Martin-Raget

Martin-Raget is a producer at BlueTwelve Studio that worked on Stray.

Terminal Fort Knot F8, James Ender - Jonathon Buckley

An Australian producer and actor known for Siberia, and appearing in games like Call of Duty: Vanguard.

Mr. Impossible, Tar Twins - Danny and Michael Philippou (RackaRacka)

The Tar Twins are actually the stunt duo RackaRacka, and released the acclaimed 2022 horror film Talk to Me.

The Fisherman - Arnaud Saint-Martin

Saint-Martin is senior director of external development at PlayStation Studios.

The Aeronautical Engineer - Uli Latukefu

Latukefu is an Australian actor and singer, and plays Dwayne Johnson in the NBC comedy Young Rock. He also starred in Alien: Covenant and Black Adam.