If there are two internet gaming celebrities folks love to be parasocial about, it’s gotta be Hideo Kojima and Geoff Keighley. For decades, the two have publicly shared what many thought to be an unbreakable bond. Despite their different backgrounds, ages, and positions in the industry–Kojima being the beloved game director behind both the Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding series, and Keighley, a long-time journalist and events-host-turned-founder of The Game Awards–their love of video games and entertainment seemingly served as the foundation for a long and fruitful relationship. Recently, however, internet onlookers had begun to suspect there was trouble in paradise.
Late last week, tweets began to circulate highlighting the fact that the pair had not been seen interacting since 2025’s The Game Awards, during which Death Stranding 2 went home with zero awards despite securing seven nominations. As several of the clips and tweets circulating online reflect, this lack of (public) communication was not for lack of Keighley’s trying; the host was frequently seen commenting on Kojima’s posts only to be met with silence. Most recently, Keighley offered up a polite wave emoji on a recent photo Kojima shared standing next to actress Jodie Foster. Kojima, however, did not respond.
Fans of the duo began to refer to Kojima’s “public shunning” of Keighley as indication that the pair were now “divorced.” The cheeky jab at how close they once were–and how distant they now seemed–quickly gained traction and spawned videos like the following:
In an act that further intensified the rumors that there was tension between the pair, Keighley took to X to respond to one of the posts highlighting Kojima repeatedly leaving him on read. The incident took place just two days after Summer Game Fest Live–Keighley’s annual showcase that shines a spotlight upcoming games and has essentially replaced E3 as the industry’s biggest summer event–and saw the host respond to the above video with a GIF of Kojima looking briefly disappointed before clapping.
For a moment, it seemed as if there might be some validity to the pair having undisclosed issued. Shortly after the “divorce rumors” began to intensify, Gene Park, a reporter for The Washington Post, shared a photo alongside Kojima with the caption, “plz don’t show this to geoff keighley.” Kojima then retweeted that post not once, but twice.
Who was to blame for this falling out? Was is the developers behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the game that took home the most Game Awards in the show’s history and (theoretically) prevented Death Stranding 2 from securing even one award? Perhaps it was Miss Piggy, fans began to speculate. After all, the pair had grown quite close. (Sorry, Kermit).
However, after a long, speculative, and frankly hilarious week, Kojima and Keighley have finally put an end to the rumors. Last night, the pair shared multiple posts across social media of their dramatic reunion. By the looks of it, the two picked up right where they left off, and spent the evening enjoying flutes of champagne and each other’s company.
Ever the artist, Kojima also shared a black-and-white video of the two embracing. The clip ends with the two turning to the camera and offering two enthusiastic thumbs ups, just to ensure that we all move on with our lives and stop being a bunch of chronically online little weirdos. Friendship is truly magical.
