Death Stranding 2 is locked in for a June release date, exclusively on PS5. Hideo Kojima's sci-fi follow-up, officially called Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, will reunite us with protagonist Sam as we step back into his post-apocalyptic world for another off-kilter action adventure.
That said, Kojima is still breadcrumbing us. He recently celebrated the game's sound mixing finally being finished as of April 2025, just under three months out from Death Stranding 2's projected June launch date. Players are already flocking to Steam to replay the first game, though with Kojima hinting that there's a "boss skip" toggle to help us focus on the story, you'd be forgiven for simply needing a lore brush-up. The creator has also alluded to bokka, the traditional Japanese couriers, making an appearance in the game inspired by the occupation itself.
All signs point to Death Stranding 2 being a truly ambitious sequel, even by Kojima's standards, so it makes sense that it's also shaping up to one of the most wanted upcoming PS5 games of 2025. The first Death Stranding fast became known as one of the best PS4 games of all time for good reason, and On The Beach looks to take all the weirdest and most wonderful things about it and deliver one of the biggest new games for us to explore this summer. Death Stranding 2 is just one of many upcoming Hideo Kojima games in the works; OD is currently in production at Xbox (and it looks like it may well be an upcoming horror game to watch out for in the future), while Physint is another very mysterious new PS5 exclusive that's set to land in the "action espionage" genre.
Kojima's first mission objective, though? Get Death Stranding 2 into our patient hands. Here's everything we know about the upcoming PS5 exclusive, from a Death Stranding 2 release date to gameplay features and more.
Death Stranding 2 news
- Hideo Kojima is still hung up on his ex, as Death Stranding 2 features a Metal Gear Solid doppelganger the director says is the spitting image of Solid Snake
- As Death Stranding 2: On the Beach gets rated in South Korea and Hideo Kojima appears to tease a new trailer, a release date seems more likely than ever
- Hideo Kojima is hard at work on Death Stranding 2, but he doesn't know how much longer he can stand the grueling game development process: "It's incredibly tough"
- Hideo Kojima seems to be testing Death Stranding 2, but it's not going well: "I fell asleep twice while on a delivery and ran the vehicle into a cliff"
- Hideo Kojima shows 9 seconds of Death Stranding 2 title screen footage and warns that it's "very much temporary"
- Hideo Kojima says he's working on Death Stranding 2's "specs and flow," and adding details, abating fan fears of a larger overhaul
Death Stranding 2 release date
The Death Stranding 2 release date is set for June 26, 2025, with the date announced in a new 10-minute trailer shown at SXSW by Hideo Kojima.
Confirmation of a release date for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach came during Hideo Kojima's panel at SXSW panel on March 9. After revealing we could expect to see it arrive in 2025, the brand new trailer surprised audiences by revealing a June 26 launch date, alongside the announcement of a Collector's edition for the upcoming PS5 exclusive.
Death Stranding 2 platforms
Death Stranding 2 has been confirmed for PS5, and Kojima Productions is yet to reveal whether it will arrive on other platforms.
When Death Stranding launched in 2019, it did so as a PS4 exclusive. Publisher 505 Games later helped bring Death Stranding to PC in 2020, while Death Stranding: Director's Cut was later brought to PS5 and PC Game Pass. Were we to speculate for a second: It's highly likely that Death Stranding 2 is being developed as a long-time PS5 exclusive, given how heavily involved PlayStation Studios is with its production, but there is every chance that it will come to PC eventually – given how heavily Sony continues to invest in the space outside of the core PlayStation ecosystem.
Death Stranding 2 pre-order
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach pre-orders are set go live on March 17, 2025 ahead of the June release date. This was confirmed at the SWSX panel, where we got our first look at the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Collector's Edition, with details also dropping on the Digital Deluxe Edition and pre-order bonus.
The Collector's Edition is priced at $229.99 and will include a digital game download, collector's box, 48-hour Early Access, a 15inch Magellan Man Statue, a 3inch Dollman Figurine, a letter from Hideo Kojima, and art cards. You also bag yourself a myriad of in-game items, including various weapons, cosmetic patches, and gear.
The Digital Deluxe Edition has a $79.99 price tag and includes 48-hour Early Access and in-game items including an early unlock of a machine gun, along with pre-order bonuses such as the custom Hologram of a Quokka, and other gear-based items.
The standard digital edition costs $69.99, and the pre-order bonus for all editions includes the full game alongside the Quokka Hologram early unlock, and the Battle, Boost, and Bokka power skeletons for Sam.
Death Stranding 2 trailer
Kojima Productions revealed the first Death Stranding 2 trailer at The Game Awards 2022. The four-minute long teaser trailer didn't show any direct gameplay, but it did give us a sense of how the world and characters have changed since Sam Porter Bridges removed his Cuff links and severed his connection with the Bridges corporation. Naturally, there's a lot to unpack in here, and Death Stranding 2 director Hideo Kojima teases that "You've just seen the trailer, and I've put a lot of things inside, so I want you to talk about it and find details in it."
We also got some new Death Stranding 2 footage during the 2024 Tokyo Game Show. In Part 1 (which you can see for yourself down below) we meet Fragile again and are introduced to the new character Tarman. Tarman is voiced by none other than Mad Max director George Miller, which is super cool. We also get a closer look at a submarine that we'll be using in-game.
#TGS2024PlayStation Presents “DEATH STRANDING 2” Special Stage!First public release of game footage.Part1: Dollman & Tarman Member Introductions.#DeathStranding2 pic.twitter.com/ci2QP57CbRSeptember 29, 2024
In Part 2 we see a clip of two young girls discussing their past and one of their pregnancies. The two characters are introduced as Tomorrow and Rainy. Tomorrow is voiced by none other than Elle Fanning. Although, in this clip not much gameplay is shown and it's unclear how we'll be working with the two in the future as of right now.
Part 3 shows us Heartman again, and is very interesting as it's filled with eerie vibes. However, Part 4 is one of the most exciting new clips, as it shows off the game's new photo mode. The teaser demonstrates how characters will pose and react to the camera, making all your photos look more polished and cool. Personally, we can't wait to get our hands on it!
#TGS2024PlayStation Presents “DEATH STRANDING 2” Special Stage!First public release of game footage.Part 4: 'Photo shoot event' (Stuffed Cryptobiote also make an appearance).#DeathStranding2 pic.twitter.com/O3nrKcIvBWSeptember 29, 2024
A 10-minute pre-order trailer dropped at the SXSW March 2025 panel with Hideo Kojima. In it, we see various clips of the world, including shots of different vehicles in action, and a lengthy look at the cast, as Sam is seen traversing various climates and landscapes with boxes tied to his back. You can watch the full trailer below.
Death Stranding 2 screenshots
With these Death Stranding 2 screenshots, you can get a better look than ever before at the weird, dangerous world that Kojima Productions is crafting for this long-awaited sequel. While the natural draw is some of the A-list talent Hideo Kojima has drawn to this project, these screenshots also show off some of the larger-than-life environments and combat encounters we'll experience in the final game. Be sure to scroll through the gallery above to see them all.
Death Stranding 2 engine
Death Stranding 2 will be powered by Decima, the proprietary game engine created by Guerrilla Games. The studio's engine is behind Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West, and the original Death Stranding, and has helped set new benchmarks for visual fidelity and the implementation of high-dynamic-range lighting on PS4 and PS5.
It has been confirmed that while Kojima Productions is leading development of Death Stranding 2, Guerrilla will support the studio for all things Decima. The Performance Capture seen in the Death Stranding 2 trailer was completed with assistance from the PlayStation Studios Visual Arts group, with the uncannily realistic digital humans powered by Epic Games' MetaHuman technology.
Death Stranding 2 cast
Hideo Kojima has announced the first run of actors set to form the Death Stranding 2 cast. As with the original game, Death Stranding 2 is packed with talent from across the video game and film industries.
While Kojima Productions is yet to unveil the full cast, we know that Norman Reedus, Lea Seydoux, and Troy Baker are returning following their first outing in 2019, while Elle Fanning (Super 8), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool 2), and director George Miller have also joined the cast.
Read the full Death Stranding 2 cast list below:
- Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges
- Lea Seydoux as Fragile
- Troy Baker as Higgs Monaghan
- Elle Fanning as Tomorrow
- Shioli Kutsuna as Rainy
- George Miller as Tarman
- Fatih Akin as Dollman
- Darren Jacobs as Heartman
Death Stranding 2 story
Should we have connected? That's the prevailing message of the first Death Stranding 2 trailers, and there's so many weird and wonderful things happening throughout its four-minute runtime that you'll twist your mind in knots trying to figure it all out. We see what appears to be an older Sam Porter, a fully-healed Fragile, and an extinction entity cult whose leader is wearing Amelie's necklace and haircut, and hiding their face with Higgs' signature death mask.
There's mention of a new private corporation, APAC (Automated Public Assistance Company), more overt nautical themes, and a potential Fragile Express replacement called Drawbridge – which incorporates both a 'rope' and 'stick' motif. There's also very real indications that we'll be dealing with multiple alternate realities connected via the beach, with potential variants of Sam Porter, BB, Lou, Fragile, and others to contend with. Let's be honest, we'll be unpicking all of this for months (if not years) to come.
But here's something we do know with 100% certainty: Hideo Kojima scrapped the entire story after the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at The Game Awards 2022, the director and writer said this of the Death Stranding 2 story: "I had the story written before the pandemic. But after experiencing the pandemic, I just rewrote the whole story from scratch." Kojima then added this comment with a smile, speaking to his uncanny ability to predict events through games like Metal Gear Solid 2 and Death Stranding, "I also didn't want to predict any more futures, so I rewrote it."
The version of the Death Stranding 2 story remains a closely guarded secret then, although Kojima Productions has given us a hint of what's to come: "In Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA. Sam – with companions by his side –sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles, and a haunting question: should we have connected?"
Death Stranding 2 gameplay
The official PlayStation store page for Death Stranding 2 shed light on a few details on what's in store for the sequel. Described as an "open-world action-adventure game" played from a third-person perspective, it's said that "the player must deliver cargo, overcome enemies both human and otherworldly" and "explore a post-apocalyptic world by foot and vehicle".
Not unlike the first game, Death Stranding 2 will also feature "asynchronous multiplayer", where the creations or actions of other players "will become visible and useable" to you once you've connected to areas of the map.
The above 10-minute pre-order trailer gave which debuted at SXSW gave us another extensive look at Death Stranding 2, which showed of some of the otherworldly enemies, means of traversal, and characters we'll be meeting in the sequel.
Here's why we hope that Death Stranding 2 is a smarter, leaner adventure than its predecessor – with a wider focus on exploration and social connection.
