[GameSpot] - Death Stranding 2 - Story, Theories, And Everything We Know

[343iBot]

After his departure from Konami and the formation of his studio, few people could have predicted just what kind of game legendary game designer Hideo Kojima would make next. So what did Kojima and his team ship in 2019? A post-apocalyptic courier service adventure in a world where you really didn't want to be caught out in the rain, Death Stranding is a strange journey into extinction 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 months of teasing and a little bit of viral marketing, Kojima is once again stepping back into the director's chair for another round of weirdness at the end of the world. Since then, work has continued on the sequel, speculation about its content has gotten very wild, and it's rumored that the star of Con Air, Nicolas Cage, will appear in the game.

Ahead of its (eventual) release, here's everything that we know about Death Stranding 2 so far.

Death Stranding 2 release date

The DS2 logo

Unsurprisingly, a Death Stranding 2 release date hasn't been revealed just yet, and it looks like the game will still be in development for quite a while. Back in May when Norman Reedus broke the Death Stranding 2 news--and was severely punished for it--the actor mentioned in a later interview that work had just begun on the game. It's also worth noting that the game's title is subject to change, as it was revealed with DS2 as a placeholder during The Game Awards

Death Stranding 2 platforms

Death Stranding 2 will arrive on PS5, but it's not known yet if the sequel will have timed exclusivity, similar to the first one's release on PS4 in 2019. It's likely that Death Stranding 2 will be out first on PS5, as 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 if that's the case, it could its way to other platforms eventually. Publisher 505 Games assisted Kojima Productions in publishing Death Stranding on PC, and a special director's cut version was also released in 2022.

Death Stranding 2 Story

Who is Elle Fanning playing in DS2?

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. 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.

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 has been seemingly healed, and possibly a multiverse of variants to deal with. Throw in a new cult that you'll have to face with, the rise of the Automated Public Assistance Company, a hint at oceanic content, and things are about to get very weird.

For a deeper dive, you can check out GameSpot's Death Stranding 2 trailer breakdown for some wild speculation.

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.

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 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. Scottish music trio Chvrches 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 Doherty said 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."

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