Death Stranding

Death Stranding is Hideo Kojima’s post-apocalyptic action-adventure franchise developed by Kojima Productions, created following Kojima’s high-profile departure from Konami in 2015. The franchise follows Sam Porter Bridges across a shattered America reconnecting isolated settlements through a network called the Chiral Network, with the central mechanic built around traversal, cargo delivery, and the tension between connection and isolation. Death Stranding released November 8, 2019, and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach released June 26, 2025, for PlayStation 5, with a PC version following March 19, 2026.

Death Stranding (2019)

Death Stranding was developed by Kojima Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, releasing November 8, 2019, for PlayStation 4. The game takes place in a future United States following a cataclysmic event called the Death Stranding that blurred the boundary between the world of the living and the realm of the dead, producing BTs, invisible spectral creatures from the afterlife that attach to human cargo and trigger devastating explosions if they consume a living person. Sam Porter Bridges, played by Norman Reedus, works for the delivery organization Bridges and is tasked with reconnecting the isolated settlements of the United Chiral Cities of America through the Chiral Network while carrying the infant BB, a Bridge Baby whose sensory connection to the dead allows Sam to detect BTs.

The game’s mechanics centered on traversal across mountainous terrain, managing cargo weight and distribution, and using a rope and ladder toolkit to navigate obstacles. An asynchronous social system allowed players to leave structures, signs, and equipment in the shared world that other players could find and use. The game received divided initial critical reception, with some reviewers finding its deliberate pacing and delivery-focused gameplay meditative and others finding it monotonous, and has since developed a strong cult audience. Léa Seydoux played Fragile, Troy Baker played Higgs, and the cast included Mads Mikkelsen, Lindsay Wagner, and director Guillermo del Toro in a motion-captured role. A Director’s Cut for PlayStation 5 released September 24, 2021, adding new missions, a race mode, and additional story content.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (2025)

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was announced at The Game Awards 2022 and released June 26, 2025, for PlayStation 5. Directed and written by Hideo Kojima, the game follows Sam Porter Bridges and his companions across Australia on a new mission to save humanity from extinction, with the central question posed as whether connecting the world was the right choice. Norman Reedus returned as Sam, joined by Léa Seydoux as Fragile, Troy Baker as Higgs, and new cast members including Elle Fanning, Shioli Kutsuna, Luca Marinelli as Neil, Alissa Jung as Lucy, and Academy Award-winning director George Miller in a motion-captured role. Musician Woodkid composed original music for the game including the song To the Wilder.

The game premiered as a World Strand Tour 2 event at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025, during Summer Game Fest, where Kojima presented extended gameplay footage including a Neil boss fight and a combat sequence featuring a character named Tomorrow. Death Stranding 2 introduced a photo mode with story-relevant functions and a musical number sequence described as an in-game event. The PC version released March 19, 2026, becoming the first time the sequel was available outside PlayStation.

Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions

Kojima Productions was founded by Hideo Kojima in December 2015 following his departure from Konami after over thirty years, during which he directed the Metal Gear and Metal Gear Solid franchises as well as the cancelled Silent Hills project, represented by the playable teaser P.T. Sony Interactive Entertainment partnered with Kojima Productions to fund and publish Death Stranding, with Kojima owning the intellectual property rights to the franchise rather than the publisher. The ownership structure means Kojima Productions controls the franchise’s future, and the PC releases of both games confirmed the series is not permanently exclusive to PlayStation hardware.