CHVRCHES have confirmed they make a cameo appearance in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach after contributing to the soundtrack of the original.

CHVRCHES created the title track for Hideo Kojima’s 2019 blockbuster game Death Stranding. “We were really excited about the opportunity to work with Kojima because we have been fans of his work for a long time,” the band said at the time.

“He has always been such a visionary in the gaming world and we were honoured to be involved in the project. The concept of Death Stranding is so unique and really felt to us like it was challenging people to care about the world they create — in the game and otherwise. We wrote this song specifically for Death Stranding, thinking of the themes of the game and what it is trying to say to people.”

Then in 2023 the trio were spotted hanging out with Kojima, with many fans speculating they would once again be involved in the soundtrack for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. “It would be nice if we could make something work,” Kojima said about the rumours. “I wanna do something different, something no one has done before. Having one song in the game is expected, right? So what if we had [CHVRCHES] make like 100 songs or something?”

Speaking to NME a few months later, the band’s Martin Doherty said CHVRCHES were “available” but there had been no “formal” discussions yet. “We’ve talked [and] we’ve hinted heavily at each other that we would both like to collaborate again. We’re continuing to build a really special relationship with Hideo. And I think we get him and I think he gets us. If the call comes in to do more then of course, we’ll be there in a second.”

Now Lauren Mayberry has revealed that CHVRCHES do appear in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach as NPCs that work for the We Love Animals organisation. Sharing a screenshot from the game on her Instagram, Mayberry wrote: “Hello from us in Death Stranding 2.”

She followed it up with a BTS picture. “A real honour and a secret we had to keep for a long time. Thank you as ever Hideo Kojima.”

The Death Stranding 2: On The Beach soundtrack has been created by Woodkid, with Caroline Polachek creating the title track. The haunted pop song was originally written for her 2019 album ‘Pang’ but it was “too alien and industrial” so she set it aside. ​​“When Kojima approached me about Death Stranding 2, I showed him the sketch of it and he agreed that it was a perfect fit,” she explained in a statement.

She’ll perform the song at the London date of the Death Stranding 2 world celebration tour, which takes place Monday (June 30).

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is out today (June 26).  In a five-star review, NME wrote: “Death Stranding 2 doesn’t take well to bingeing: it’s a slow-burning game that remains an acquired taste. But it’s far more accessible and fun to play this time around, with simply more entertainment between the quieter ‘walking simulator’ phases. For sheer creativity and daring in a blockbuster game, you owe it to yourself to check it out.”

In other news, Jack Black will return to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 as playable character Officer Dick, a secret skater who was first introduced in the original Tony Hawk’s game