Hideo Kojima Explains Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Launch Window, Says Game Still About 'Cargo Delivery'

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Kojima Productions' action-adventure cargo delivery title, is set to launch on the PS5 in June. Several new gameplay and story details for DS 2 have emerged as previews for the game went live Thursday. Game director and studio head Hideo Kojima, too, has revealed new details about the story and gameplay ideas that drive Death Stranding 2 and explained the reason behind the game's June launch timeline in a packed year for gaming. According to Kojima, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is coming out next month to avoid clashing with other Sony games lined up for launch this year.

Death Stranding 2 Launch Window Explained 

On the latest episode of his Koji 10 radio show on TBS podcast, as spotted by IGN, Kojima explained the decision to launch Death Stranding 2 in June. On the Japanese show, the industry veteran took on a listener's question about the reason behind the game's June release window instead of September.

Kojima said (via IGN) that release date decisions were not entirely up to him and were influenced by projected launch windows of other games. In the case of DS 2, Kojima said, the release date had been nailed down a long time back.

“For example, Sony has various other games lined up,” the game director said. “So, we can't overlap with these other titles. It's the same with movies. This decision (on Death Stranding 2's launch date) was made quite a while back.”

Kojima's comments suggest Sony, that serves as publisher for Death Stranding 2, does not want the game releasing close to other first-party titles. A September launch would have put the Death Stranding sequel right on the trail of Sucker Punch's Ghost of Yotei, which is set to launch exclusively on PS5 on October 2.

Death Stranding 2 will see Sam Porter Bridges making more deliveries
Photo Credit: Sony/ Kojima Productions

Games Launching in 2025

There are a few other major titles launching between June and October, including Konami's Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, a remake of Kojima's classic espionage title, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. The game is set to arrive on PS5, PC and Xbox Series S/X on August 28. Just a day later, Sony-published action title Lost Soul Aside launches on PS5 and PC.

Rogue Factor's action-adventure title Hell is Us launches September 4, while Sony's live-service shooter Marathon arrives later in the month on September 23.

Take-Two also has a busy release slate this year, even with Grand Theft Auto 6 delayed to 2026. Borderlands 4 was earlier supposed to launch on September 23, but developer Gearbox pulled the launch date up to September 12. And on Thursday, 2K announced that Mafia: The Old Country would be released on August 8.

A late June launch window gives Death Stranding 2: On the Beach a clear runaway, with no major releases in July.

Death Stranding 2 will feature more combat than the first game, but it will be optional
Photo Credit: Sony/ Kojima Productions

Death Stranding 2 Still About Deliveries

In a separate interview with IGN published Thursday, Kojima also talked about the gameplay ideas behind Death Stranding 2. While the first game was largely about delivering precious cargo from point A to point B as players navigated challenging terrain, previews suggest Death Stranding 2 will involve more combat.

Kojima, however, said, combat was still an ancillary gameplay feature in Death Stranding 2. “It's not that I'm simply pushing combat. The game is still fundamentally about cargo delivery, but combat has become more flexible,” he said in the interview. “Players have the choice to take a detour around enemies or use a car or motorcycle so as not to encounter them.”

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is set to release exclusively on PS5 on June 26. The game will continue the story of Sam Porter Bridges as he attempts to reconnect pockets of human settlements in a post-apocalyptic world. It is available to pre-order on the PlayStation Store.