Death Stranding 2 release date revealed for 2025

You know, between Metal Gear Solid and very much acknowledging (indirectly or not) the fact he wants to be a director, something about making the release date announcement for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach says Hideo Kojima wants to direct a film. We’ve known for a while now that Kojima was set to appear at the annual festival, which is mostly known for films and music, South by Southwest. However, announced on Sunday (with a bit more detail), we’ve got a 2025 release date for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.

Hosting a panel at the festival in Austin, Texas, Kojima and some of the cast revealed Death Stranding 2: On The Beach will release for PS5 on June 26th. Of course, this announcement came with a reference linking back to Metal Gear Solid 2 because Kojima has to Kojima. This (of course) came with an overly long trailer that made about as much sense to anyone with work to do as a dog walking backwards on its hind legs and speaking Spanish. Basically, it is Norman Reedus’ Take Your Kid to Work Day, but this time without the baby in a jar and amniotic fluid.

The world is still an ecological disaster, but this time you’ll explore outside of North America, it seems, with a latter mention in the trailer suggesting off-continent locations. While oily techno-Jesus (obviously played by Troy Baker) is still a thing, Amazon still needs you to deliver packages, and the chances of you understanding the plot by the end are slim to none. None of this is to say Death Stranding 2: On The Beach isn’t interesting or that Kojima is bad, but I honestly don’t know how to explain the series without plainly calling it what it is. Insanity manifest.

As I’ve said, the PS5 launch is this June, but PC players will have to wait a while longer. As is typical with PlayStation-published titles that arrive on the PC platform, there is a delay. We did, however, get another detail that’s worth noting: the prices include a physical version and the unbelievable Collector’s Edition. Standard physical and digital versions of Death Stranding 2: On The Beach are set to be $69.99 or the regional equivalent, and the digital deluxe edition is $79.99 or the equivalent.

The physical Collector’s Edition is a bit more than that, at $229.99 (or the regional equivalent, obviously). For that, you get the digital deluxe edition and pre-order bonuses, some art cards, a letter from Kojima (some of you just ran to buy one from eBay), a 3-inch Dollman figure, and a 15-inch Magellan Man Statue. Oh, and you get 48 hours of early access to the game itself. For that price, I want Norman Reedus wearing nothing but tassels to give me a lap dance, too.

The digital deluxe edition is a bit more appetizing at only $79.99, but you only get the gold edition of the Battle/Boost/Bokka Skeleton leg supports. The pre-order bonus is silver versions of the same things. You also get the early unlock of a machine gun (MP Bullets) and three patches that might suggest where Death Stranding 2: On The Beach’s setting. To go along with the pre-order bonus of a hologram Quokka early unlock, you get Patch 70, which is a Quokka, Patch 71 (an oily cat) and Patch 72 reading “Why Me?” I’d be asking, “Why me?” when forced to go to Perth as well.

Pre-orders will be available next week, but I’ll chime in with what I always say, never pre-order. Unless you are getting something physical like a lap dance from Norman Reedus, pre-ordering a digital product for the sake of some shiny bits of tat is ridiculous. Nonetheless, from Monday the 17th, 10 AM local time, you can pre-order a game that you’ll need a Wiki and lots of drugs to understand. Again, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will be released on PS5 only on June 26th, 2025.