On March 9, 2025, Hideo Kojima officially presented the long-awaited game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which will be released on June 26, 2025, currently exclusively for PlayStation 5. The announcement took place at the SXSW 2025 conference, where Kojima Productions showcased an epic 10-minute cinematic trailer featuring both new and familiar characters, plot elements, and references to Kojima's previous works.

What was shown in the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach trailer?

The new 10-minute trailer showcases the expanded game world, gameplay snippets, and intriguing philosophical themes Kojima is known for, all accompanied by the background song Woodkid – To The Wilder. The events unfold 11 months after the formation of the United Cities of America.

The main character, Sam Porter Bridges (played by Norman Reedus), tries to cope with new challenges and tasks in a renewed world where automated systems have replaced couriers, and a new faction is gaining power.

The trailer also features familiar faces Lea Seydoux (Fragile) and Troy Baker (Higgs). They are joined by new actors: Elle Fanning (Tomorrow), Shioli Kutsuna (Rainy), George Miller (Tarman), Luca Marinelli (Neil), Debra Wilson (Doctor), and Alyssa Jung (Lucy). The game will also feature a cameo by Korean action film star Lee Dong-seok (Don Lee).

Fans quickly noticed that Marinelli's character Neil bears a strong resemblance to Solid Snake—a reference Kojima hinted at a few years ago. Additionally, the trailer introduces Magellan Man, a giant tar creature reminiscent of the iconic robots from Metal Gear Solid.

Another significant detail was the confirmation of a romantic relationship between Sam and Fragile. In the trailer, they share a long kiss, which develops hints of their connection from the first game. However, it's unknown if this relationship will persist throughout the storyline.

Despite the trailer's striking length, it reveals almost no plot details, except for a few characters, locations, and creatures. The cinematic trailer for Death Stranding 2 is an absolute banger in the video game industry, with direction comparable to Christopher Nolan's films, where everything is intriguing and impressive but nothing is clear until the player plays.

Expanding Kojima's Universe

Death Stranding 2 is not the only major project in development at Kojima Productions. After the game's release, the studio will focus on OD (a horror game for Xbox) and Physint—a hybrid video game and film for Sony. Work is also ongoing on the Death Stranding game film, produced by A24 studio.

Additionally, Kojima announced a global concert tour Death Stranding, titled The Strands of Harmony World Tour. Orchestral performances with the game's original soundtrack will take place in 19 cities worldwide, starting at the Sydney Opera House on November 8, 2025, on the 6th anniversary of the first game's release.

Pre-orders start March 17 – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Price

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach pre-orders will open on March 17 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time, and players can choose from three versions:

• Standard Edition ($70) – includes the full version of the game.
  
  
• Digital Deluxe Edition ($80) – includes exclusive in-game items, including "Golden Skeletons," MP Bullet Machine Gun, and unique patches.
  
  
• Collector’s Edition ($230) – includes everything from the Digital Deluxe Edition, plus a 15-inch Magellan Man statue, a 3-inch Dollman figure, art cards, and a letter from Kojima. Important: this edition does not include a physical copy of the game.

All pre-orders grant 48-hour early access, allowing players to start the game on June 24.

With only a few months left until release, fans are actively discussing the game's deep themes, possible connections to Kojima's previous works, and hidden clues in the trailer. The author leaves players with a rhetorical question: "Should we have connected?" and a rhetorical answer: "We should not have connected".

Building theories about the plot can be endless, but it will be a futile endeavor, as predicting Kojima's moves and stories is not easy. Even after completing his creations, questions often remain that people seek answers to and discuss to get closer to the truth.