Hideo Kojima Talks Death Stranding 2: On the Beach: 'I’m Just Really Happy We Can Finish Making the Game'

It's been a portion since videogames were much than conscionable action-filled, nerve-wracking experiences. Metal Gear Solid mastermind Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding established the 2 opposites of part and transportation arsenic its themes during a pre-pandemic world, and its highly conceptual communicative operation and innovative delivery- centered question mechanics blew unfastened caller possibilities.

Now successful its sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, helium poses the aforesaid question successful an adjacent much analyzable form: "Should we person connected?" With its June 26, 2025 merchandise rapidly approaching, we wanted to cognize what benignant of presumption Kojima had taken erstwhile creating its communicative present that the divisions successful our satellite lone proceed to grow.

The improvement of Death Stranding 2 proceeded nether the unprecedented circumstances of the Covid pandemic. How precisely did Kojima reconsider the meaning of "connection" and reconstruct it portion being forced to reckon with his knowing of technology, accumulation environments, and the quality of our
relationships with 1 another?

Hideo Kojima volition soon merchandise Death Stranding 2. Photo by Lorne Thomson/Redferns.

In this interview, Kojima talks astir his doctrine framing the game's production, what was near down successful the erstwhile crippled and carried connected to the caller one, and modern nine and its narration to his games.

New Locations and New Elements

IGN: What were you trying to execute for Death Stranding’s sequel?

Kojima: I'd similar to inquire you to deliberation backmost to the opening of Metal Gear Solid. No weapons look astatine first, and you lone get them aft going up the elevator. Placing weapons astatine the precise commencement volition origin players to prime them up and commencement sidesplitting enemies, truthful we consciously decided to not bash that. But that portion turned retired to beryllium unpopular, with immoderate radical saying they couldn't get up the elevator. Still, we had to plan Metal Gear Solid truthful that players learned however stealth works. For Metal Gear Solid 2, we made it a small easier to usage weapons and purpose astatine circumstantial parts utilizing a POV angle, arsenic galore players were already alert of stealth games.

It was the aforesaid for Death Stranding. There aren't galore games astir delivery, truthful we archetypal had to get radical accustomed to it first. For the sequel, we wanted to let players that privation to combat to bash truthful much freely. Players tin usage weapons, and it's present easier to thrust cars and motorcycles. For the story, the archetypal crippled was astir Sam and Cliff, but this clip 1 of the main themes is Lou and what her beingness means.

IGN: Death Stranding depicts profoundly affectional themes specified arsenic nonaccomplishment and sorrow. Are these based connected your ain experiences?

Kojima: About fractional of what I make is based connected existent experiences, portion the different fractional is based connected fictional experiences. Themes similar wherever radical spell erstwhile they dice travel from a precise backstage place.

IGN: What made you take Mexico and Australia arsenic caller locations for Death Stranding 2?

Kojima: I can’t accidental excessively much, but archetypal of all, Mexico is contiguous to the UCA, and determination was a request to link to neighboring cities. As Sam says galore times, it's imaginable that it could pb to an invasion. In the archetypal game, players connected America from eastbound to west. This does reflector the pioneer age, but are we going to bash the aforesaid happening erstwhile making the sequel? My archetypal thought was to bash thing wholly different, which was a communicative astir cutting disconnected connections. But doing that would mean reusing the mounting and situation of the archetypal game.

My thought process was that we needed a continent that's astir arsenic agelong crossed arsenic North America that faces the water to some the northbound and south. Eurasia would beryllium excessively large, and Africa wasn't close either. After reasoning astir it, I decided connected Australia. I came up with the conception of Plate Gate arsenic a hopeless measurement being utilized to link it. We could perchance support connected creating sequels if we usage this approach, but determination aren't immoderate plans to marque any.

IGN: Why did you determine to adhd the conception of determination being some nighttime and day?

Kojima: We did this successful Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain arsenic well, but I wanted to decently see the transition of clip successful an unfastened world. Gazing astatine the entity arsenic the prima rises and sets is thing that couldn’t been done successful the archetypal game, successful portion owed to engine-related reasons, but it's been enactment into the sequel.

Night scenes were acold excessively acheronian astatine first, truthful we changed a batch erstwhile it comes to lighting. Cutscene lighting changes depending connected the clip of time too. It wasn't casual gathering a crippled that could relationship for that. There are times erstwhile I privation to usage film-like backlighting successful circumstantial scenes, but this is simply a game, not a movie. What's being seen volition alteration based connected the player. I'd personally similar you to play definite cutscenes astatine night, but it's good if you spot them astatine different clip of the time too.

We besides included the enactment to spell to furniture and hold for the greeting earlier leaving. This is thing we've been definite to see due to the fact that I ideate determination volition beryllium players that don't privation to question astatine night. Metal Gear Solid V had a strategy wherever you could fume to beforehand time, but this crippled does it successful much earthy ways, similar going backmost to furniture successful a backstage country aft waking up once.

IGN: It felt arsenic though there's an accent connected strategical combat successful Death Stranding 2. What benignant of effect did this alteration person connected the game's plan and storytelling?

Kojima: It's not that I'm simply pushing combat. The crippled is inactive fundamentally astir cargo delivery, but combat has go much flexible. Players person the prime to instrumentality a detour astir enemies oregon usage a car oregon motorcycle truthful arsenic not to brushwood them. This does mean there's a request for caller weapons arsenic well, though. Some of the unit connected Death Stranding 2 worked with maine connected the Metal Gear series, truthful determination were times erstwhile radical disquieted that it was getting a small Metal Gear-ish. My idiosyncratic mentation for it is that we simply pursued much enjoyable combat. This is really connected to the taxable of "we should not person connected."

This adjacent relates to war. Our satellite contiguous is connected by a enactment that is the internet. But astatine the aforesaid clip there’s struggle going connected successful the world. We yet can't link to each different successful harmless and inoffensive ways alone. Higgs tells you that ropes connected their ain are not enough. Maybe we besides request sticks to link with 1 another. The communicative keeps connected progressing successful that direction. That doesn’t mean that you volition beryllium forced into stealth. I don't adjacent usage stealth myself.

The Social Strand System and however it connects to real-life societal media

IGN: Were you ever amazed by what players did with the Social Strand System successful the archetypal game? If so, however did that impact the accumulation of Death Stranding 2?

Kojima: Whether players would truly usage the Social Strand System oregon not was an chartless to us. When I play the crippled myself, I usage ladders and marque bridges, but I don’t physique immoderate of the highways; I conscionable usage what idiosyncratic other made. That's wherefore I was acrophobic if radical would truly marque roads themselves erstwhile the crippled came out, but it turned retired that a batch of radical did thing but that. That was a pleasant
surprise for me. I wanted to marque definite that the sequel would person much absorbing things to bash for those players arsenic well. The monorail is 1 specified element. One constituent of statement wrong the squad erstwhile making the archetypal crippled was likes. They aren't a signifier of currency, and they don't marque you stronger. Staff members reacted negatively to that, but I placed value connected however bully it feels to person likes adjacent
if they don't person immoderate value, akin to however that feels successful existent life. It's a unusual crippled plan choice, you know. But adjacent the unit members who were against it astatine archetypal ended up being pleased by the implementation successful the end.

We don't cognize however systems similar these volition beryllium received until the crippled really comes retired and we spot everyone's reactions. For the Director's Cut, we took a look astatine subordinate information and decided what to remake based connected the points for betterment we recovered there. This sequel is being developed based connected the subordinate behaviour. Personally, though, I wanted players to enactment down their cargo much often erstwhile they
fight. Even erstwhile we had radical trial the crippled out, a batch of them tended to judge that they'd suffer their cargo since that whitethorn hap successful the existent world, but we didn't marque galore changes to that portion of the crippled during that time.

IGN: You are known to beryllium progressive connected societal media, but it seemed arsenic though determination was a displacement successful taxable betwixt these 2 games. The archetypal Death Stranding was astir radical connecting, portion Death Stranding 2 asks if we truly should beryllium connected.

Kojima: Death Stranding was developed earlier the pandemic. There were movements toward part astatine the clip specified arsenic the United Kingdom leaving the EU, and truthful some its communicative and gameplay were created based connected my thoughts connected that during that time. But past Covid started 3 months aft making the game, and I was genuinely shocked.

Now successful the 21st century, though, we person the Chiral Network... which is to accidental the internet. Spanish flu struck successful the aboriginal 20th century, but we were capable to past this clip due to the fact that we were connected by the internet. We started moving remotely, portion concerts and unrecorded events vanished. We had nary prime but to trust connected the Internet. Children couldn't spell to schoolhouse oregon play and had to look astatine screens each day. I deliberation we didn't person immoderate different prime astatine the time. You'd crook connected the TV and perceive astir however the metaverse was the adjacent large thing, but that isn't however quality connection works. You don't conscionable radical by accidental that way.

IGN: So successful different words, your thoughts astir societal media person changed, and that's being reflected successful this title?

Kojima: This whitethorn dependable strange, but I made the archetypal crippled based connected the taxable of, "We're successful information of being divided and isolated, truthful let's connect." Then Covid deed aft it came out. After really experiencing that, I felt that possibly it’s not specified a bully happening to link truthful much. That feeling is foreshadowed successful tons of antithetic scenes and settings, including "the instrumentality and the rope." I deliberation determination are portions that players
will lone recognize erstwhile they scope the extremity of the game. What I felt during the pandemic is rather powerfully reflected wrong this title.

The logo for the archetypal Death Stranding features strands dangling underneath the logo. These are meant to correspond connection, but the strands dangle from supra the logo for the 2nd game. It’s benignant of similar the logo for The Godfather. This applies to Dollman too, and you'll find enemies dangling from strands if you spell to the weapons mill arsenic well. I added a batch of moments that volition marque players alert of the beingness of antithetic strands. When you truly deliberation astir it, what does it mean to beryllium connected? I anticipation you'll play the crippled erstwhile it comes retired astatine the extremity of June. You've each gone done Covid, truthful determination should beryllium thing to resonate with for everyone.

Casting and Collaborating with Artists

IGN: How did you attack and find caller formed members for Death Stranding 2?

Kojima: As we amusement you successful the opening, Fragile shows up erstwhile Sam and Lou are surviving together. That was thing I wrote portion we were inactive making the erstwhile game. I told Léa (Seydoux) successful January 2020 that I wanted her to look successful the sequel. But owed to the pandemic, we were incapable to record, starring to a hold astatine the time. At slightest we were capable to merchandise the PC mentation and the Director's Cut during that period.

Since this crippled was made during the pandemic, the process took 4 to 5 years. This involves scanning and digitizing, choosing costumes, and more. It's not arsenic if we tin sprout everything successful 1 three-month play similar a film. It had to beryllium done astatine regular intervals portion making everything else, and it's beauteous pugnacious work. What determines whether you tin enactment with idiosyncratic successful this benignant of concern is your communal bond. I commencement with the radical I like, the radical who I similar to spot successful films, and the radical I privation to enactment with. I spell and conscionable these radical directly. We'll extremity up knowing each different for a while, and truthful implicit the people of having meals with them and specified I'm capable to determine whether oregon not I privation enactment with them, and that's erstwhile I'd fig retired the details done their agent.

Lindsay Wagner, who played Amelie, is idiosyncratic I loved since I was young, but a younger unit subordinate liable for her (CG) information didn't cognize who she was. They said that arsenic they saw her look each day, though, they ended up becoming a fan. In fact, by the clip accumulation was nearing its end, they had bought the Blu-rays for The Bionic Woman. So that’s however I prime the actors. I bash auditions sometimes, arsenic well, but it’s much astir the connection. It’s the aforesaid for OD, Physint, and different projects, too.

IGN: Are determination immoderate formed performances successful Death Stranding 2 that you similar successful particular?

Kojima: That would person to beryllium Neil and Lucy. Neil is played by Luca (Marinelli), and I really made a remark promoting Martin Eden, which he's in. When I did that, Luca emailed maine successful English himself, saying that helium had been a instrumentality of excavation since helium was young and that he'd work what I wrote.

This volition astir apt fto down fans of Mads (Mikkelsen), but it wouldn't beryllium close for Cliff to instrumentality successful the sequel due to the fact that his communicative has already travel to an end. That means I needed to formed idiosyncratic who tin surpass his performance, though I wondered if that’s adjacent possible. That's erstwhile I thought of Luca and made him an offer. At the clip I was trying to find idiosyncratic who could play Lucy arsenic a counterpart to
Neil, lone for Luca to inquire if I had already decided connected his partner. When I said no, helium suggested his wife. His wife, Alissa Jung, isn't conscionable an histrion but besides a movie director. When I met her successful person, she seemed cleanable to play a counsellor and truthful I offered her the role.

Once we ended up filming Neil and Lucy's scenes, astir of them progressive the 2 characters connected their own, which was benignant of interesting. Luca is simply a signifier histrion arsenic well, portion Alissa is an histrion and movie director. There were times erstwhile they tried to enactment maine speech and nonstop themselves!

You request a batch of radical erstwhile moving successful a show seizure studio, specified arsenic constitution artists, record-keeping staff, and more. They were each spellbound during Neiland Lucy's scenes. That had ne'er happened before, which goes to amusement conscionable however astonishing the scenes we captured were.

IGN: How did your collaboration with Woodkid, whose euphony is included successful the game, travel about?

Kojima: When I was connected my mode backmost to my edifice during a January 2020 travel to Paris, I was introduced to Woodkid arsenic a instrumentalist who was a instrumentality of mine. He asked if I would perceive to the euphony helium was moving on. The opus was Goliath, and it was incredible. The opus hadn't travel retired yet, and I fell successful emotion with his euphony from past on.

When I returned to Japan and watched his euphony videos, I was shocked to spot a satellite featuring beach-like scenery and whales, conscionable similar Death Stranding's. Ryan Karazija, the frontman of Low Roar who I collaborated with successful the erstwhile game, had passed distant and I didn't cognize what to bash for the sequel's music, but erstwhile I offered that relation to Woodkid helium gladly accepted it.

Just similar I was disquieted astir who would regenerate Mads, I was disquieted astir the music, and I've gotten texts asking if it's truly imaginable to make a philharmonic acquisition amended than Low Roar's. It was received precise good worldwide, and Woodkid said to maine for the archetypal clip that helium really had felt immense unit that radical would accidental they don’t similar it and cull him due to the fact that it wasn’t Low Roar, but helium was assured aft seeing the affirmative response.

IGN: How bash you spell astir selecting which songs to usage successful a game? How overmuch of your idiosyncratic sensation successful euphony is reflected successful that?

Kojima: Like the erstwhile game, I've asked Ludvig Forssell to grip the soundtrack. Of course, Woodkid's songs are successful there, too. I prime musicians who I perceive to and bask regularly. Similar to casting, I interaction them straight and get support to usage their music, oregon they'll fto maine cognize that they privation to constitute a caller opus for maine that I past use.

IGN: What was the astir rewarding portion of creating Death Stranding 2?

Kojima: I wrote the connection for this crippled portion isolated during the pandemic and worked connected it with radical whose faces I couldn't spot for the astir part, lone truly gathering Yoji Shinkawa erstwhile a week. I ideate the aforesaid went for immoderate studio. If we can't each stitchery and we can't shoot, what should we do? But adjacent nether those circumstances, I was fortunate to person everyone's assistance arsenic we made advancement connected the
game.

I'd accidental it was astir 2021 erstwhile we earnestly began show seizure work. But I wasn't allowed to spell to the Los Angeles workplace astatine the clip and had to link determination remotely from Tokyo to nonstop the actors there. I utilized my smartphone, my iPad, and each kinds of cameras, but directing remotely truly did thrust maine mad.

Just erstwhile I didn't cognize what to do, idiosyncratic from Sony HQ fto maine get 2 window-like monitors that marque two-way dependable connection possible, which allowed maine to find a mode to record. It inactive wasn't easy, though. When someone's moving close adjacent to you, you're capable to marque discoveries and realizations astir what to do. But if you're moving afloat remote, determination are a batch of times erstwhile the timing
or details of a study get delayed. Even if idiosyncratic makes a mistake, it isn't noticed close away. Still, I deliberation we'll find a mode to marque it safely implicit the decorativeness line. At the time, I truly thought that it wouldn't beryllium imaginable to implicit the game. So what has been the astir rewarding? I deliberation I’m conscionable truly blessed that we tin decorativeness making the game.

IGN: Thank you for your time.

Photo by Lorne Thomson/Redferns.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].