CD Projekt Red confirmed on October 19, 2026, that game director Hideo Kojima will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming anime series Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2. He will reprise his role as Hideyoshi Oshima, the fictional braindance creator who first showed up during an optional hotel encounter in Cyberpunk 2077 [1]. The full season premieres on Netflix on October 20, 2026, when all ten episodes arrive at once to introduce a new storyline in Night City [2].
Announcement on Social Media
The announcement arrived through the official Cyberpunk: Edgerunners account on social media, letting fans know that Kojima’s likeness is returning to Night City. “Spotting a familiar face, chooms? You may remember seeing him in Konpeki Plaza during The Heist in 2077. Now, the renowned braindance director is making another appearance in Night City,” the post read [3]. Kojima posted photos from the recording booth on his English account, telling followers: “I make a cameo appearance in the anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 as Hideyoshi Oshima, the character who appeared in the previous game” [1].
CD Projekt Red co-CEO Michal Nowakowski reacted publicly to the news, writing that it’s “always a pleasure” to work with Kojima on these shared universe crossovers [5]. Reviewers had spotted the cameo scene during advance screenings, but CD Projekt Red waited until the morning review embargo lifted before letting the public know that Kojima was in the booth [3].
Netflix plans to drop all ten episodes at once, so fans won’t have to wait week to week to catch Kojima’s animated scene [2]. CD Projekt Red hasn’t shared which episode features Oshima or how long he stays on screen [4].
Hideyoshi Oshima in Konpeki Plaza
Players first met Hideyoshi Oshima in December 2020 when Cyberpunk 2077 launched on consoles and PC. The encounter happens during “The Heist”, an early story mission where protagonist V enters Arasaka’s luxury hotel to steal an experimental biochip from a private suite [1], [5]. Oshima sits in the hotel restaurant lounge with companions, nursing a drink while discussing his creative ideas [1].
When V approaches the table, the director asks if the mercenary has any story pitches before launching into his personal creative philosophy, explaining that he wants braindance recordings to convey raw human emotion instead of simple sensory thrills. “The feeling when you combine happiness and melancholy, or being calm with an underlying sense of anxiety… These complex, realistic feelings and emotions are what I aspire to recreate… woven into much better stories, of course,” Oshima tells his listeners in Konpeki Plaza [1]. Kojima placed human connection at the very center of Death Stranding, echoing Oshima’s fictional speech [4].
The name Hideyoshi Oshima carries a clever inside joke about Kojima’s own name, as documented in the community-run Cyberpunk Wiki. According to the database, Oshima translates to “big island” while Kojima translates to “little island”. CD Projekt Red also hid a Death Stranding bridge baby pod inside an evidence room during an investigation, showing a mutual creative friendship between both production teams [4].
Cameos Across Anime and Film
Kojima’s appearance in the anime didn’t come out of nowhere, as he had hinted at new acting roles earlier in the month [1]. During episode 36 of his radio program KOJI10, broadcast by TBS Radio in Japan, Kojima spoke about several surprise acting opportunities he recently completed for outside directors. He confirmed on the broadcast that outside creative teams had approached him for voice work on multiple entertainment projects [5].
“Directors and others have asked me to [appear]. One is a big live-action movie and [the other] is a major anime title,” Kojima said on the air. While he enjoys popping into guest projects, he made it clear that he prefers playing fictional characters instead of himself. “I don’t like playing myself. That happens a lot. I’d rather play a detective or something,” Kojima said during the radio show [5]. In both Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, having a distinct persona like Hideyoshi Oshima gives him that creative buffer, letting him portray an artist working with braindance technology [1], [3].
Fans are still waiting to learn which live-action film Kojima shot, but his connection with Night City keeps growing [1]. Beyond anime, CD Projekt Red is developing several screen adaptations, with Paramount Pictures planning a Cyberpunk 2077 film adaptation as part of future multimedia expansions. Kojima’s ongoing relationship with the company shows how close the game and film worlds have grown over the last six years [3].
How Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2 Fits Kojima’s Schedule
Kojima’s work on Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2 is only a small slice of his current workload at Kojima Productions, where he steers two major game productions that take up most of his weekly studio hours [1],. One major production is OD. Created in collaboration with Hollywood talent and first revealed through teaser trailers, the horror title remains shrouded in mystery while fans anticipate its atmospheric storytelling [5].
His second major title is Physint, an action espionage project that Kojima views as the spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid, which shifted under the Xbox umbrella after being dropped from PlayStation in September [3], [5]. Reports on Bill Skarsgard joining the cast of Physint confirmed the lead role, showing Kojima isn’t slowing down his directing duties even while recording television cameos [1].
He balances two big game productions while recording voice lines for television, showing how much Kojima enjoys stepping outside everyday studio management [1]. He doesn’t take on conventional roles, choosing to pop up where fans least expect him [5].
Early Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2 Reviews and Direction
While Kojima’s cameo grabbed attention on social media, the core story of the new season comes from an experienced anime creative team. Bartosz Sztybor returns as showrunner and lead writer, joined on scripting duties by writers Kanno Ichigo and Masahiko Otsuka. Animation direction is led by Kai Ikarashi, who helped shape the look and pacing of the ten new episodes. The creators promised after the first season that any follow-up would introduce new faces and tell an independent tale within Night City instead of continuing earlier character arcs [4].
Early critical reviews published on October 19 suggest the second season delivers on its action goals even as it carves its own identity. IGN awarded the series a 9/10 score in its review, calling the return to Night City “Amazing” while praising the rapid combat sequences. “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 delivers the gory, action-packed goods, even if it doesn’t quite hit the highs of its predecessor,” the review said [1]. Other critics were more reserved; Kotaku’s Kenneth Shepard pointed out that while he didn’t love every piece of the ten-episode story, the setting’s familiar atmosphere still pulled him back in [3].
With all ten episodes dropping at the same time on Netflix, fans can explore the new story at their own pace without waiting for weekly updates [2]. Hideyoshi Oshima’s cameo gives returning players a fun connection to their time wandering Konpeki Plaza in Cyberpunk 2077 [1], [3]. It’s a reminder that even as the anime charts a different path with fresh protagonists, Night City’s eccentric artists are still lingering in hotel lounges, waiting for someone to pitch them a good story [1].
- ONLINE NEWS Cripe, M. (2026, October 19). Hideo Kojima Confirmed to Reprise Cyberpunk 2077 Role in Edgerunners 2 Anime Cameo. IGN. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE Push Square. (2026, October 19). Hideo Kojima Back in the Cyberpunk Universe for Edgerunners Season 2. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Shepard, K. (2026, October 19). Edgerunners Season 2 Brings Back Hideo Kojima’s Cyberpunk 2077 Character. Kotaku. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Coulson, J. (2026, October 19). Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Includes The Return Of An Iconic Developer. TheGamer. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Russell, B. (2026, October 19). Hideo Kojima returns to Night City for a Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 cameo. GamesRadar+. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Video Games Chronicle. (2026, October 19). After making a cameo appearance in Cyberpunk 2077, Hideo Kojima is coming to Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2. [Article Link]
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