Death Stranding 2: Everything We Know 🎮👶👻🌧️

Imagine if a walking simulator collided with a stealth thriller, soaked in existential dread and cosmic horror. Hideo Kojima is back, and this time, he’s not just delivering packages. Welcome to Death Stranding 2: On The Beach – a sequel that doubles down.

Let’s wind the clock back to November 2019. The world was slightly less broken, and Hideo Kojima had just released Death Stranding – a genre-defying, meme-igniting, deeply polarizing game that turned courier service into spiritual warfare. You played as Sam Porter Bridges, a delivery man hauling society’s metaphorical and literal baggage across a post-apocalyptic America torn apart by an extinction event. Ghostly BTs, timefall rain that aged you to dust, and creepy BB babies in jars – Death Stranding was either your favorite game of the decade or a sleep aid in disguise.

But then the pandemic hit, and Kojima – ever the chaos prophet – took it personally. In his own words, he rewrote the entire direction of the sequel after witnessing the real-world isolation, panic, and technological over-dependence during COVID. Suddenly, the once-bizarre premise of connecting isolated cities didn’t feel so sci-fi anymore – it felt like 2020 with a filter. So he reshaped the narrative: what if reconnecting wasn’t enough? What if the very idea of rebuilding was flawed?

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach isn’t just a sequel – it’s a philosophical sequel. And it picks up a few years after the original’s ending, with Sam living in relative peace with Lou, the once-dead baby now apparently alive and thriving. But peace doesn’t last. Fragile calls with a mission in Mexico. Things go sideways. Suddenly, Sam finds himself in Australia – new continent, new stakes, and way more deadly terrain. There are earthquakes now. Sandstorms. Floods. The planet is actively rejecting humanity. And once again, Kojima wants you to feel every footstep of the fallout.

Now let’s get into the meat. Premiered at Summer Game Fest 2025, Death Stranding 2 is running on the Decima engine, the same tech that powered the original and Horizon Forbidden West. And you can tell – it’s visually absurd. Think wind-swept deserts one second, jungle-like outback terrain the next. The game features fully explorable biomes in both Mexico and Australia, with dynamic weather events that will literally reshape your traversal path. Timefall’s still here, but it’s not alone – now you’ve got massive environmental hazards that shift the map in real time.

Gameplay-wise, Kojima’s going full toolbox mode. You’ve got customizable vehicles, including armored rigs with mounted turrets. You can build monorail systems to cover long distances. Watchtowers give you stealth entry points into enemy zones. And there’s an actual skill tree now. That’s right – Death Stranding has XP. You can now invest in combat upgrades, stealth abilities, porter efficiency, and more. It’s no longer just about getting from point A to point B – it’s about how creatively and effectively you do it.

Combat has also seen a major overhaul. You’re not just punching out MULEs and throwing piss grenades anymore. We’re talking full Metal Gear-style stealth systems, close-quarters combat mechanics, and large-scale BT boss fights that look like they were lifted straight from a horror anime. And yes, your BB – Lou – still plays a central role, but now she’s… different. Older. Possibly connected to the Beach in ways Sam can’t understand yet. And with Fragile running her own organization, and Higgs back from the dead and wielding a lightsaber because Kojima just does whatever he wants now, the stakes are cosmic.

The fanbase? Oh, they’re spiraling – in the best way. Reddit is lit up with deep-dive theories, timeline debates, and lore spreadsheets. On one side, you’ve got the stans who are ride-or-die for Kojima’s brand of narrative chaos. They love that this is more philosophical, more emotional, more “out there.” They’re tracking every symbol in the trailers, translating background signage, and posting freeze-frame comparisons to obscure DS1 lore.

On the other side, you’ve got the skeptics. The ones who thought DS1 was a little too pretentious, and are now side-eyeing the stealth combat and added systems as signs Kojima’s overcorrecting. “Death Stranding didn’t need to be fun,” some purists argue. “It needed to be meaningful.” And they’re nervous that adding skill trees and shootouts will dilute the soul of the original.

But here’s the twist: Kojima wants that reaction. He even said in an interview he was worried people might like it too much. In his world, no controversy = no conversation. And you can bet he’s leaning into that by making Death Stranding 2 more provocative, more bizarre, and more divisive than ever. This isn’t about pleasing fans. It’s about challenging them.

So when are we strapping in? Death Stranding 2: On The Beach launches June 26, 2025. It’s a PlayStation 5 exclusive for now, but knowing Kojima and Sony’s recent dance with PC ports, it’ll probably hit Steam in a year or two. There’s no word on Xbox – don’t hold your breath.

Pre-orders went live in March, and they’re milking the collector crowd hard. You’ve got your standard edition, your digital deluxe with bonus content and early access, and the mega Collector’s Edition – which includes a limited-edition DualSense controller, exclusive skins, and some truly wild physical merch. Think BB-themed gear, artbooks, maybe even a creepy Lou figurine if you’re into that. Plus, if you pre-order the Deluxe or Collector’s Edition, you get 48-hour early access starting June 24.

Kojima’s already declared the game is gold, which means it’s done and ready to ship. And in true Kojima fashion, he’s already working on his next project, which may or may not involve AI, horror, or something we can’t even comprehend yet. Oh, and there’s a “World Strand Tour 2” coming – a global promo blitz that’s basically a rock tour but for Kojima stans.

In short: the vibes are immaculate, the mystery is thick, and the hype train is fully fueled.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach isn’t here to convince you it’s a traditional sequel. It’s here to rip apart the idea of what a sequel even is. Kojima isn’t just revisiting his world – he’s dissecting it, reassembling it, and throwing it into the ocean to see what washes back ashore. And whether you’re excited, confused, or already queuing up your preorder, one thing’s for sure: you’re going to feel something.

Strap in, porters. It’s almost time to reconnect… again.