Konami lost easily its best asset when it had its rough break-up with legendary game director Hideo Kojima. All heresay aside, there are two important takeaways from this: Konami’s future Metal Gear games won’t ever be the same, and because the publisher got Metal Gear in the divorce, Kojima likely won’t ever be doing anything related to the series he is most well-known for. That said, this is Kojima we’re talking about here, and that man is, if nothing else, a master of subtlety. Enter Death Stranding, the extremely strange new IP he is working on for the PlayStation 4. We have seen lots of Death Stranding recently, including a new trailer that debuted during The Game Awards 2017. While conspiracy theorists have already been sniffing their way through the latest video, some sharp-eyed fans are already pointing out that a shadowy silhouette seen within the video looks a lot like a very famous Metal Gear Solid character: Psycho Mantis.

Seen above, the circle reveals a shadowy figure floating off in the distance. As many can recall from Metal Gear Solid, Psycho Mantis was a member of FOXHOUND, and a powerful psychic that could, of course, float in the air. Though not much to go on, the way with which the shadowy figure in the picture is seen floating along is very reminiscent of Psycho Mantis, a fact easily amplified by the fact that none other than Hideo Kojima is the creative force behind the wheel.

It deserves mentioning that neither Psycho Mantis nor any other Metal Gear Solid character is actually allowed in games that aren’t published by Konami. As mentioned before, though, Kojima is a master of subtlety, and if anyone can throw a few rogue elements into a new game all ‘willy nilly’ and get away without facing trademark infringement, it’s him. Death Stranding releases for PlayStation 4 in 2018.

So, thoughts on who or what those shadowy figures could be? What other Kojima references are you hoping to see within Death Stranding? Let us know in the comments section below, and as always, stay tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers for all the latest gaming and entertainment news! Don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for our 24/7 news feed!