Gamers Trick Age Checks Using Sam From Death Stranding
Published On: July 28, 2025
In an unexpected twist, Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding has become a surprising tool for bypassing the UK’s new age verification rules. Instead of using their real face or ID, some gamers have discovered that a well-angled shot of Sam Porter Bridges, played by Norman Reedus, can trick facial recognition tools on platforms like Reddit and Discord.
The workaround surfaced shortly after the UK began enforcing the Online Safety Act, which requires users to verify their age before accessing adult content. Popular platforms now rely on facial scans or ID uploads through third-party services. But a new method requires nothing more than a PlayStation or PC, the game Death Stranding, and a phone.
People were able to do this by opening the game’s photo mode, positioning Sam’s face toward the screen, and using the in-game expression controls to mimic prompts like opening their mouth or turning their head. Both Reddit (using Persona) and Discord (using k-ID) accepted the virtual face during tests by multiple users.
Not all platforms are fooled. Bluesky, which uses Yoti’s facial age estimation, reportedly rejected the Death Stranding images. Yoti is also slated to handle Instagram’s upcoming verification system, which may prove more resilient.
While funny on the surface, the bypass raises serious questions about the reliability of current age-verification systems. If a digital character can fool advanced AI checks, how secure are these systems in practice? Critics of the law argue it could drive users to more extreme privacy workarounds, including the dark web.
Meanwhile, VPN usage in the UK surged after the act went into effect, with Proton VPN reporting a 1,400% spike in sign-ups and a major jump in Google search traffic. But for those unwilling to pay for a VPN or share ID documents, Sam Porter Bridges has become an unlikely hero. It’s unclear how long this method will go undetected, but for now, it’s a surprisingly simple workaround.
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