The continuation of the game Death Stranding - known as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - received a fresh trailer and the long-awaited release date of June 26 during the presentation at SXSW, reports UNN citing The Verge.
Details
The PlayStation 5 exclusive will cost $69.99 and will be available for pre-order starting March 17. Those who purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99) or Collector’s Edition ($229.99) will receive early access starting June 24.
Hideo Kojima presented a 10-minute trailer that begins with two characters - one of them is Neil, played by Italian actor Luca Marinelli - arguing with each other. After that, Sam (Norman Reedus) travels extensively through the wastelands with his BB (Bridge Baby) and cargo, facing bad weather, an avalanche, and terrifying monsters characteristic of the series. The game features many stars, with characters such as Fragile (Léa Seydoux), Tarman (George Miller), Higgs (Troy Baker), Tomorrow (Elle Fanning), Dollamn (Fatih Akin), Rainy (Shiori Kutsuna), The President (Alastair Duncan), Lucy (Alyssa Young), Heartman (Nicolas Winding Refn), and Doctor (Debra Wilson) shown in the trailer.
Towards the end, the trailer shows Neil putting on a bandana that, as noted by IGN, closely resembles Solid Snake, the main character of Kojima's famous Metal Gear Solid series. The shot is eerie, with quick flashes showing his face periodically replaced by a skull, the publication writes.
Kojima also announced "The Strands of Harmony World Tour," a concert tour for Death Stranding that will visit 19 cities and feature music from Death Stranding performed by a live orchestra and singers. It will begin on November 8, 2025, in Sydney, Australia.
Supplement
First announced in 2022, On the Beach is a direct continuation of Death Stranding from 2019, a game in which Metal Gear Solid director Hideo Kojima opened a new studio. The success of the original led to a director's cut, several ports, and an upcoming live-action film created in partnership with A24.
The studio is also working on a couple of other projects, including an Xbox horror game featuring Sophia Lillis and Hunter Schafer, and an "action-spy" project codenamed PHYSINT.