Hideo Kojima has recently distanced himself from Italian cartoonist Michele "Zerocalcare" Rech following backlash over a now-deleted photo taken at the Lucca Comics and Games 2025 convention. The image, which showed Kojima holding Rech's graphic novel, led to misunderstandings about his political stance due to Rech's views on the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia. In response to the growing controversy and speculation of endorsement, Kojima Productions issued a statement clarifying that there was no existing relationship or agreement between Kojima and Rech, and that Kojima was unaware of the cartoonist's political positions.

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Despite the backlash, fans pointed out Kojima's history with political themes within gaming, highlighting the Kurdish character Sniper Wolf from the Metal Gear series. Kojima's unique storytelling often intertwines various sociopolitical issues, which could provide an interesting backdrop to the unfolding drama surrounding this incident.

nWhy did Hideo Kojima delete the photo with Zerocalcare?

Hideo Kojima deleted the photo after facing backlash and speculation regarding his endorsement of Zerocalcare's political views, which he stated he was unaware of at the time. Kojima Productions clarified that there was no relationship between them and that the meeting was brief and unintentional.

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As the creator of acclaimed games like Death Stranding and the Metal Gear series, Kojima often explores complex themes, which has made him a prominent figure in both the gaming and political discourse. His involvement with diverse cultural narratives challenges players to confront real-world issues, thereby elevating video gaming as an art form.