The long-awaited sequel for Death Stranding was finally announced during The Game Award 2022. Death Stranding garnered several awards when it was first released in 2019, including Best Score and Music, BAFTA Games Award for Technical Achievement, and The Game Award for Best Game Direction.
But as Hideo Kojima took to the stage to reveal the trailer for Death Stranding 2, we’re left with some questions and a lot of hype. The four-minute-long trailer, which you can watch below, didn’t offer any peeks at actual gameplay but does offer a glimpse into Death Stranding 2’s returning characters and new threats.
Fragile, one of the key characters of Death Stranding, is shown fully healed but younger and is shown attempting to protect and escape with baby Louise. She’s not in her typical suit, so it’s likely that she’s younger, that this is a flashback, or some alternate-reality shenanigans have taken place. Oil leaks from Fragile’s eyes, which typically only happens when a person has a close connection to the Beach. We also get a glimpse of a graying Sam Porter. But what’s most concerning is the Extinction Entity cult, led by someone wearing Amelie’s necklace and haircut, whose face is hidden by Higgs’ death mask.
Many details in this trailer inspire speculation, from Amelie’s dream catcher to the mass forming in the BB pod, which seems to reflect Lou’s wings. But without more details, nothing is for certain.
Everything We Know About Death Stranding 2 So Far
Here’s what we do know for sure. The story of Death Stranding 2, Hideo Kojima revealed, was written before COVID-19. But after it, he decided to rewrite the entire thing. As to why, Kojima stated, “I didn’t want to predict any more futures, so I rewrote it.”
Death Stranding 2 has been confirmed for the PS5, and it has not yet been revealed whether other it will also release on other consoles. It’s possible it will be a PS5 exclusive, as Death Stranding was a PS4 exclusive during its release.
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This new release will be powered by Decima, a game engine created by Guerrilla Games. This engine is used by the original Death Stranding, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Horizon Forbidden West. But the fantastically realistic digital humans seen in the trailer are powered by Epic Games’ MetaHuman technology.
What’s Death Stranding 2’s Release Date
Death Stranding 2’s release date has not yet been set. It’s been revealed that Death Stranding 2 is a working title, so we will likely not see a spring or summer release. Norman Reedus, who plays protagonist Sam Porter, revealed that “we just started the second one,” in May 2022.
Fans will probably remain on the edge of their seats with fingers crossed that more news will soon come down the pipeline.
