Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has a release date for later this year, giving fans of the 2019 game a brand-new adventure to experience in the ruins of a world where humanity is on the edge of extinction. The first game was a post-apocalyptic courier service adventure where you really didn’t want to be caught out in the rain and it was anchored by the digital performances of Hollywood stars such as Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen.
In December 2022, Death Stranding 2 was officially revealed at the Game Awards. After years of teasing, it’s full steam ahead for the sequel when it arrives in June, but even when it’s so close to the finish line, we still have many questions we’re hoping to have answered in Death Stranding 2. Ahead of its upcoming release, here’s everything that we know about Death Stranding 2 so far.
When will Death Stranding 2 be released?
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will officially launch on June 26. If you preorder the digital deluxe or collector’s edition, you’ll get two days of early access and can jump into the game starting June 24.
Preorder Death Stranding 2
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Preorders officially open up on March 17, and we’ll update this feature with links once they’re live. For now, we do know what will be inside each edition of the game as well as how much it’ll cost. Here’s a breakdown of everything:
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach preorder bonuses for all editions
- Quokka Hologram
- Battle Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
- Boost Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
- Bokka Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Digital Deluxe Edition
- Digital download
- 48-hour early access to the game
- Machine gun (MP Bullets), LV1 early unlock
- Battle Skeleton: Gold color (LV1, LV2, LV3)
- Boost Skeleton: Gold color (LV1, LV2, LV3)
- Bokka Skeleton: Gold color (LV1, LV2, LV3)
- Quokka patch
- Chiral feline patch
- Why me? patch
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Collector’s Edition
- Full Game digital download key
- 48-hour early access to the game
- 48-hour early access to the game
- Collector’s box
- 15″ Magellan Man statue
- 3″ Dollman figurine
- Art cards
- Letter from Hideo Kojima
- Machine gun (MP Bullets), LV1 early unlock
- Battle Skeleton: Gold color (LV1, LV2, LV3)
- Boost Skeleton: Gold color (LV1, LV2, LV3)
- Bokka Skeleton: Gold color (LV1, LV2, LV3)
- Quokka patch
- Chiral feline patch
- Why me? patch
Death Stranding 2 platforms
Death Stranding 2 will launch exclusively for PS5 and we do know that it’ll be exclusive to that platform for at least a year. Sony was heavily involved in the development of the first game–and assisted Kojima Productions in completing the reveal trailer through its PlayStation Studios Visual Arts group–but given the company’s recent approach to porting more of its console-exclusives to PC in the years since Death Stranding launched, it’s highly likely that Death Stranding 2 will make its way to that platform eventually.
Death Stranding 2 Story
Kojima is keeping the Death Stranding 2 story under wraps for now, but he has revealed a few details about the game since its official debut, while the first trailer has also hinted at a new calamity on the horizon as the unstoppable Death Stranding continues. The story for Death Stranding 2 that Kojima originally had in mind was thrown out after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with Kojima remarking that he restarted from square one. “I had the story written before the pandemic. But after experiencing the pandemic, I just rewrote the whole story from scratch,” Kojima said at the Game Awards.
“Should we have connected” is the main crux of the story, as following Sam’s journey to help establish the United Cities of America, the world has changed. Deliveries are now automated, a dangerous new cult seems to have emerged, and Higgs Monoghan has somehow managed to escape the Beach after he was stranded on it toward the end of the first game. Throw in a hulking samurai outfitted in red armor, kaiju-sized tar-monsters, and new locales, and Death Stranding 2 looks like it’ll be greatly expanding on the ideas of the first game.
“In Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA,” the official plot synopsis from Kojima Productions reads. “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?”
If you sift through the reveal trailer, there’s a whole bunch of fascinating threads to explore, ranging from the state of the world after more connections had been made, the return of Fragile, who is in a much healthier state now, and possibly a multiverse of variants to deal with. For a deeper dive, you can check out GameSpot’s Death Stranding 2 trailer breakdown for some wild speculation. In case you’ve missed them, here are the previous trailers that Kojima released for the game:
Death Stranding 2 cast
Kojima loves working with actors, and with a reputation as an auteur in the games industry, the game director has managed to attract some big names to his project. This time, Reedus will be joined by a few new faces as Elle Fanning and Shioli Kutsuna are in the cast. Reedus once again plays Sam Porter Bridges, and he’s joined by Lea Seydoux (Fragile) and Troy Baker (Higgs Monaghan), two characters from the first Death Stranding.
Other new actors include Mad Max director George Miller as Tarman, the captain of the DHV Magellan and Fatih Akin as Dollman, one of the more interesting additions to the series. True to his name, Dollman is a living puppet who’ll join Sam on his journey, and who isn’t afraid to pick a fight with people like Higgs. Speaking of Higgs, the self-proclaimed particle in all things is sporting a wild new look, resembling a cyberpunk version of the Crow. There’s also Neil, another new character who is the spitting image of Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series when he dons a bandana, as seen in the release date trailer. Here’s a closer look at the cast so far for Death Stranding 2:
Returning from Death Stranding
- Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges
- Lea Seydoux as Fragile
- Troy Baker as Higgs Monaghan
New characters introduced in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- George Miller as Tarman (Performance by Marty Rhone)
- Fatih Akin as Dollman (Performance by Jonathan Roumie)
- Elle Fanning as Tomorrow
- Nicholas Winding Refn as Heartman (Performance by Darren Jacobs)
- Shioli Kutsuna as Rainy
- Alastair Duncan as The President
- Alissa Jung as Lucy
- Luca Marinelli as Neil
- Debra Wilson as Doctor
Will Nicolas Cage be in Death Stranding 2?
We don’t know yet if the Dead by Daylight A-lister will be bringing his signature acting A-game to Death Stranding 2, but at least we know that he left Kojima a very nice note after he toured the Kojima Productions studio.
Death Stranding 2 screenshots
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Death Stranding 2 gameplay
The first Death Stranding was essentially a puzzle game, as players had to guide Sam to his destination and figure out the best route and equipment to help him deliver his cargo in one piece. Sure, the game also had action and stealth as you were forced into fights with package-stealing Mules and the ghostly BTs haunting parts of the map, but the real core of the game was focused on the journey and the destination ahead of you. Adding an extra wrinkle to the gameplay was timefall, a weather phenomenon involving deadly rain that could steal the time of anything it landed on before becoming harmless water, and staying outside too long during one of these showers could ruin a cargo run.
For Death Stranding 2, it looks like that mix of genres has been expanded on. Couriering cargo, for example, looks even more dangerous thanks to other weather phenomena like bushfires, lightning storms, and avalanches. To make things easier, it looks like Sam will have access to a new fleet of vehicles that can traverse this deadly ground, as well as exoskeletons and floating carriers.
Combat also looks like it has been beefed up, especially with all of the new enemies that you’ll encounter. Human foes seem to be smarter this time. we’ve glimpsed horrifying hand-monsters in the wild, and we’re going to need a much bigger gun to take on the skyscraper-sized tar-monsters.
Asynchronous multiplayer will also return in the sequel via the Social Strand system, which helped foster a feeling of connection in Death Stranding. Essentially, this allowed players to have an impact on the world, leaving behind useful tools, gadgets, and vehicles for other players to find in their expeditions once certain areas had been connected to the Chyral Network. We’re not certain if or how this system has been expanded, but if it’s anything like the one seen in the first game, it’ll be a welcome feature as players lend a hand to each other in a dangerous world.
Death Stranding 2 soundtrack
Death Stranding’s soundtrack is a highlight of that game, as chill beats to relax to at the end of the world made for a meditative experience. We know that Woodkid composed the song “The Wilder” which was heard in the SXSW trailer and that you can listen to in the video above. This isn’t the first time that the French music video director has worked with Kojima, as he previously teamed up with the director to create the song “Goliath” for the Death Stranding: Director’s Cut trailer. Beyond that, Woodkid also has several other tracks that’ll be in Death Stranding 2.
Scottish music trio Chvrches also contributed some of the best tracks to the game, and while they haven’t been formally contacted to create some new material for the sequel, the band says that it’ll be ready in a hot second if Kojima approaches them again.
“There’s nothing formal yet. We’ve talked [and] we’ve hinted heavily at each other that we would both like to collaborate again,” Chvrches synth player Martin Dohertysaid in March. “There’s sort of a dance going on right now. I don’t want to be rejected by all out saying, ‘Can we be on the game please?’ and [Kojima] says no. But I don’t know. We’re continuing to build a really special relationship with Hideo. And I think we get him and I think he gets us. If the call comes in to do more then of course, we’ll be there in a second.”