UK residents are reportedly using images of Death Stranding protagonist Sam Porter Bridges, portrayed by Norman Reedus, to bypass online age verification systems. The workaround exploits the game's high-fidelity facial rendering and photo mode features.
Recent government-imposed online age restrictions in the UK require users to verify their age using real-time facial recognition for accessing adult-rated content. These measures extend beyond websites to platforms like Discord, where even access to age-restricted channels is gated.
To comply, users are often prompted to upload photos of themselves in different poses, preventing the use of static or duplicated images. However, images from Death Stranding’s in-game photo mode have proven detailed enough to pass some of these checks.
The character model of Sam Porter Bridges includes dynamic facial expressions, which users have applied to generate multiple images with varied poses.
According to reports, the facial recognition systems occasionally misidentify these game-generated images as real faces, allowing users to access restricted content.
Tests show the trick works with both Death Stranding titles and, to a lesser extent, other highly detailed games such as Baldur’s Gate 3 and WWE 2K25.
The unintended use of Kojima Productions’ advanced graphics technology highlights potential weaknesses in automated age verification systems.
While developers originally designed the game’s photo mode to enhance player immersion and narrative depth, it has inadvertently become a tool for circumventing digital age gates.
Authorities and platform providers may need to re-evaluate current systems as this method gains attention online.
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