awarding it Game of the Year in 2019, and the sequel appears to be building on the idiosyncratic delivery game in practically every way.
[Warning: Minor spoilers for the setting of Death Stranding 2.]
Famed auteur Kojima, however, is already looking ahead, telling Eurogamer, "I already have a concept for another sequel. I am not going to make it myself, but if I ed it on to someone else, they could probably make it." This comes from a discussion about a Death Stranding 2 feature called the Plate Gate, which allows protagonist Sam Porter Bridges (played by Norman Reedus) to travel to different continents. In the title, Bridges uses the Plate Gate to head to Australia, which "was a good fit" for the game's setting "in of size and scale."
A Death Stranding 3 Would Cover Other Continents
Connecting The Whole World
Kojima settled on Australia for Death Stranding 2 because he "wanted an area that was sprawled from east to west like America and also somewhere that faced the ocean to the north and south." He felt Eurasia and Africa were too big, but the Plate Gate concept conceivably lets Bridges and the rest of the cast travel to any continent, continuing the theme of reconnecting society around the world, despite Death Stranding 3 feeling unlikely after On the Beach's trailers.
Death Strading 2 utilizes the Plate Gate because Kojima didn't want to reuse America. "The first idea I had [for Death Stranding 2] was that you would have to go around disconnecting everything you connected, because you learn that connecting was a big mistake," he says. "But that didn't feel right, as it would just be reusing the same environment." The same justification would likely see any potential Death Stranding 3 move to yet another continent, or at least part of one if size remains a concern.
Our Take: Hideo Kojima Shouldn't Restrain Himself To One IP
Letting Others Take The Reins Is A Good Idea
Handing off the responsibility of a third Death Stranding feels a little dubious at first, but it would ultimately be a welcome move. I'm all for more Death Stranding games, but I also don't want to see Kojima tied to the series for the rest of his career. He's among the industry's most high-profile figures, and it would be better to let him explore new IP.
Luckily, Kojima is already expanding his horizons. He's new game for Metal Gear fans on the way, an espionage thriller with the working title Physint. Kojima Productions seems to be doing well, and Death Stranding 3 could certainly be in the cards, but it might be best for Kojima to let someone else direct. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is set to expand the series' universe, but I'd like to see Kojima create some new ones next.
Source: Eurogamer
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Released
- June 26, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Engine
- Decima
- Franchise
- Death Stranding
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- PS5 Release Date
- June 26, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
