According to Kojima, the theme came about in the wake of his departure from Konami after the release of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Kojima describes the time as lonely, believing that he had lost everything.

“The game was about connection,” said Kojima about Death Stranding. “I thought I lost everything when I became alone nine years ago.”

“I had something very important, which was [a] connection with people,” he concluded.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach also got a new trailer during the special panel. Clocking in at 10 minutes in length, it offered cryptic hints about what the plot of the story could potentially be. The gameplay is quite similar to the original Death Stranding, with players taking on the role of protagonist Sam Porter Bridges as he makes deliveries across vast spaces of uninhabited land.

The trailer also revealed that the popular character Higgs would return in the sequel. Played by Troy Baker, the character proved to be one of the fan-favourites from the original Death Stranding. Kojima has said that the Higgs seen in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will be even more ridiculous than we saw in the original game. The director pre-emptively apologised for players potentially throwing their controllers at the sight of his ridiculousness.

“Higgs is not like twice or thrice better – it’s 100 times better than Death Stranding 1,” said Kojima. “So at the end, you’re gonna watch Higgs and say, ‘What is this?’ And you’ll probably throw the controller, it’s so ridiculous. I’ll apologize beforehand.”

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will also feature a new character, named Neil, who Kojima has described as being in a similar role to Mads Mikkelsen’s character Cliff from Death Stranding. He wrote a lengthy post about how he came to discover actor Luca Marinelli’s work, and how they worked together for the sequel.

“During the pandemic, I was casting for Death Stranding 2. Neil would be an important role that replaces Cliff from Death Stranding 1,” wrote Kojima. “The fans would not be satisfied unless the casting would surpass Mads.”

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is coming to PS5 on June 26. Kojima Productions and Sony have also revealed details about its various editions, including a Digital Deluxe and a Collector’s Edition, both of which will grant players 48 hours of early access to the game right before its release.

Later in the year, the Death Stranding Strands of Harmony concert tour will be taking place. Kicking things off on November 8 in Sydney, Australia, the tour encompasses the world before wrapping up in Canada in March 2026.

“Higgs is not like twice or thrice better – it’s 100 times better than Death Stranding 1,” said Kojima. “So at the end, you’re gonna watch Higgs and say, ‘What is this?’ And you’ll probably throw the controller, it’s so ridiculous. I’ll apologize beforehand.”

Baker, acknowledging the character’s craziness, responded, “Mission accomplished if you do.”

Kojima went on to talk about how the decision to bring Higgs back in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach came about because of the popularity of the character. He mentioned since Higgs ended up being such a beloved character, the ante would have to be raised by several steps for the sequel.

“Higgs was so popular last time I thought ‘I can’t kill him,'” Kojima explained. “So he’s coming back, apparently. But Higgs is not a normal villain. He’s a loved character. So I thought I would raise two, three steps higher for this character.”

Baker also spoke about reprising the role of Higgs for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, talking about the various characters in the game and how all the actors are trying to achieve Kojima’s vision for the game.

“Especially when you’re creating a world like Hideo is doing, everybody is just trying to hit the world that is up in that head,” he said while pointing at Kojima. “It’s a mind-blowing world with mind-blowing characters, and all we have to do is just play it beat to beat and scene to scene.”

The same panel at SXSW 2025 also saw the release of a new trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which also revealed that the game would be coming to PS5 on June 26. The trailer also gave us a lengthy look at the seemingly insane story while introducing us to new threats and characters.

One of the new characters introduced in the newest trailer was Neil, played by Luca Marinelli. In a social media post, Kojima revealed details on how he came to meet the actor, and how the decision to cast him for the character came about. He also revealed that the character, Neil, will play a similar role as Mads Mikkelsen’s character Cliff from the original Death Stranding.

A concert tour celebrating the music of Death Stranding was also announced. Dubbed the Strands of Harmony World Tour, tickets for the concerts will become available from March 12 onwards. The first leg of the concert will kick things off in Sydney, Australia, in November, before ultimately coming to Canada with performances in Montreal and Toronto in March 2026.

The pair have announced a “Special Panel” dedicated to the game, scheduled for SXSW 2025 on March 9 at 4 PM CDT. All we know so far about the panel is that game director Hideo Kojima will be in attendance, and will be sharing new information on title.

Of course, Sony also has a State of Play presentation scheduled imminently, for February 12, with Death Stranding 2 seemingly likely to be shown off at the event (especially with Kojima himself also apparently teasing an upcoming trailer– and not just once). A trailer now and a more thorough deep dive into gameplay at the panel a month later would certainly make sense for a game that’s officially due out this year.

Whether that means we can expect a release date announcement soon remains to be seen. Whenever it launches, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will be available exclusively for PS5.