
The controversy surrounding labeling Kojima as an auteur stems from the fact that modern blockbuster games involve hundreds or even thousands of developers working on a single project. As a result, attributing the success of a game like Death Stranding 2 solely to Kojima raises questions about the contributions of the rest of the team and whether it is fair to label him as the main architect or creator.

Francois Coulon, the director behind the original 2002 Splinter Cell, describes Hideo Kojima's leadership as effective in conveying his vision to his team, allowing them to contribute creatively. He acknowledges that it is hard to measure the impact of Kojima alone versus Kojima and his team, but ultimately, the successful result of their collaborative work speaks for itself.