Hideo Kojima has revealed that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was almost cancelled, calling it the most difficult project of his career. He said the pandemic disrupted development so badly that he thought the game wouldn’t come to fruition.
Speaking to Dexerto, Kojima explained, “Death Stranding 2 is quite special; We had the pandemic, everyone experienced this. You weren’t able to meet people face to face. I had the problem of not even meeting actors. I had all the cast decided, but during the pandemic, I thought I couldn’t pull it off.”
He added, “I became sick as well, I thought it was the end of the world. I’ve been creating games throughout my years, but Death Stranding 2 was the most difficult challenge yet.”
Kojima said the experience forced both him and his team to grow stronger while pushing through the challenges.
Earlier reports claimed Kojima made major changes to the game because playtesters thought it was “too good.” The game’s composer also confirmed that Kojima altered the story during development.
Outside of the game, Death Stranding 2 is getting a live-action movie. A director has reportedly been selected. Kojima has also confirmed an anime adaptation of Death Stranding is in the works.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is scheduled to release on June 26, 2025. The third-person open-world action-adventure game stars Norman Reedus as Sam Bridges.
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