Kojima confirmed Death Stranding 2 is real — Here’s what to know

Hideo Kojima’s first game after his messy departure from Konami was the weird yet poignant Death Stranding. The AAA walking simulator starred Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus, amongst many other famous faces. The game received mixed reviews, but overall was an astounding new experience from the mastermind behind Metal Gear Solid. Thanks to some loose-lipped individuals that are seemingly involved in the game, we might be seeing a sequel sometime soon. Here’s everything we know about a possible sequel.

When is the Death Stranding 2 release window?

While the Death Stranding 2 reveal gave us quite a bit of information, Kojima did not reveal a release date or window. Given the first game’s developmental timeline, we can infer that Death Stranding 2 will likely take around three to four years to finish. Kojima Productions likely started working on the sequel in 2019 or so, meaning it could launch as early as 2023 or 2024.

One thing that’s worth noting is that “Death Stranding 2” is the working title. This means its full title will probably be slightly different when the game releases.

Is there a Death Stranding 2 trailer?

There is a trailer, and it’s pretty on-brand for Kojima. The four-minute trailer gives us a look at Fragile and Sam Porter Bridges who are looking to team up once again. Kojima was asked about how Death Stranding 2 will differ from its predecessor, and while he didn’t have much to say on that front, he did reveal that the trailer had a number of hidden secrets throughout.

What is the Death Stranding 2 story?

During his presentation at The Game Awards 2022, Kojima revealed he had the story for this game written prior to the pandemic. However, following the events of the past couple of years, and the way the first game shared some eerie similarities with the pandemic, Kojima opted to rewrite the story from scratch. “I also didn’t want to predict any more future, so I rewrote it,” Kojima said.

Little else is known about the story, but during the trailer, Fragile asks Sam to join her crew. A massive vessel is shown coming up out of the water. Could this be a vehicle used to carry out deliveries in the new game? Time will tell.

Who is the Death Stranding 2 developer?

Just like the first entry, Death Stranding 2 is being developed by Kojima Productions. This likely isn’t the only project currently in the works at the studio, as the company is also rumored to be working on an Xbox game.

While Kojima Productions is leading development on Death Stranding 2, Guerrilla Games, the team behind the Horizon series, is assisting with development.

What are the Death Stranding 2 platforms?

While we know Death Stranding 2 is coming to PS5, it’s possible the game will launch for PC, as well, just like its predecessor. Though, as it stands, PS5 is the only confirmed platform.

The original Death Stranding debuted in 2019 for PS4, with a director’s cut being released on PS5 and PC in 2021 and 2022, respectively. At one point there were rumors that Kojima Productions would be purchased by Sony. However, these rumors were shot down by Kojima himself in a tweet.

How many times has Death Stranding 2 been teased?

Twice! The first tease that a Death Stranding sequel was in the works came from actor Norman Reedus. In an interview with men's lifestyle site Leo in late May 2022, the actor was asked about the motion-capture work on Death Stranding. Reedus responded:

“It took me maybe two or three years to finish all the MoCap sessions and everything. It takes a lot of work. And then the game came out, and it just won all these awards, and it was a huge thing, so we just started part two of that.”

Then on June 1, 2022, Kojima tweeted a cryptic video with a model of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey and a picture of a girl that said June 6. Some think the date may be June 16 as the picture is up to interpretation. No gaming events are set for either date, but conspiratorial fans point out that a 9 is an upside-down 6, and Summer Game Fest is on June 9.

Koijma is pretty chummy with SGF producer Geoff Keighley — Keighley even has a cameo as an NPC in Death Stranding — which is one reason speculation is high leading into the June 9 event. What’s more, leaks from all the way back in March 2020 claimed that Sony wasn’t pleased with the sales of the game, kicking off more than two years of speculation about a potential partnership between Kojima Productions and Xbox.