A "MacCoopers" moving van can be found in a tunnel. The name is a combination of MacGrath and Cooper, the last names of Sucker Punch's previous protagonists in Infamous and Sly Cooper respectively.

The general art style used for the graffiti art pieces found throughout the game are heavily influenced by the England-based artist Banksy, combining elements of political commentary and edgy humor.

A poster can be found in the game referencing the Seattle Seahawks, an American football team in the NFL. It shows a blue bird wearing a jersey that uses the number 12 referring to the "12th Man" term for their fanbase and the text at the bottom of the poster saying "World Champs 2014" which is referring to the football team's victory in 2013 at Super Bowl XLVIII.

Industrial cranes can be found throughout the game with the name FRASIER printed on them. This is a reference to the television series "Frasier" which is set in Seattle and led by main character, Frasier Crane.

A disc for a game called "Call of D.U.P" can be found on a desk in Eugenes place. This is a reference to the Call of Duty games

By completing the District Showdown mission in the Downtown area the player will unlock a Lucky 7 jacket design with two dice on it. This is a reference to a shirt worn by Zeke, Cole MacGraths friend in Infamous and Infamous 2.

Two posters can be found on buildings in the game that reference the first title in the inFamous series. One for a musical called Empire City, the name of the city where the first title is set, and one for a movie called "Gigante", the name of the final boss of the first title.

In the wooden longhouse at the beginning of the game the player can find numerous book volumes with the titles "Thievius Raccoonus Collections". They are referencing the Sly Cooper series.

When a "Maneki Neko" display board is destroyed, its eyes will change to crosses.

The government agency in the game, called the DUP (Department of Unified Protection), shares its abbreviated name with a political party in Northern Ireland called the Democratic Unionist Party, more commonly know as the DUP. It is unknown if this was intentional.

The DUP has numerous billboards across town with the phone number 1-844-HELP-DUP. If the number is called you will get a pre-recorded message from Brooke Augustine, the game's primary antagonist.

There is a small play area named Sienna Smith's Play Zone. Inside the play zone Sly Cooper graffiti art can be found on the walls as well as a playset with a sign that reads: "Castle Dracott" a reference to the environment artist for Infamous Second Son, Alexander Dracott.

There is a chain of gas stations in the game called "Panda King Gas". This is a reference to an original Sly Cooper enemy, the Panda King.

Delsin's ringtone is a 3 second clip of the main theme from Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time.

In the wooden house at the beginning of the game, before visiting Betty, a Knack doll can be seen resting on a chair.

A popular electronics chain throughout Second Son, Cole McG's, is a reference to Cole McGrath, the protagonist in the first two inFAMOUS titles. His Conduit power was electricity.

One of the news headlines found on a digital news prompter reads "Sly Cooper arrested for burglary", a reference to the Sly Cooper series.

Next to Eugene's bed is a sword that bears a resemblance to the Master Sword from the The Legend of Zelda series.

There is a Vietnamese noodle shop in the game called inPhởmous. This is a fun play on the words for the Vietnamese noodle dish of Phở and the title of the game.

The game features posters of a superhero named "Phoenix Jones", an actual MMA fighter and "real life superhero" who fights crime in the city of Seattle with the help of his wife "Purple Reign". From 2011 until its dissolution in 2014, Jones was the leader of the Rain City Superhero Movement, a Seattle, Washington-based citizen patrol group that described itself as a crime prevention brigade.

In game, Phoenix Jones is portrayed as a conduit captured by the "D.U.P.", with posters around the city reading "Free Phoenix Jones". Phoenix Jones also ran a contest to give away a free copy of the game through his Twitter and Facebook accounts.