Summary
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is scoring higher in pre-launch audience tests than its predecessor, but creator Hideo Kojima wishes it was more divisive.
- Kojima Productions will host a 12-city promotional tour for Death Stranding 2, which is scheduled to be released on June 26.
- Kojima states that he wants to create unique gaming experiences without compromising his vision to appeal to everyone.
Early test audiences seem to like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, but creator Hideo Kojima wishes it was more divisive. The first Death Stranding generated a fair amount of controversy when it first launched in 2019, with some players deriding it as a “walking simulator” and others praising its imaginative setting and post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Now Death Stranding 2 is set to continue the story of Sam Porter Bridges and his efforts to reconnect the world on June 26.
Kojima Productions is looking to celebrate the impending arrival of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach in a big way, with a massive 12-city promotional tour in early June. Death Stranding 2 also recently went gold, meaning that the game is complete and ready to ship out. Fans who weren’t put off by the controversy of the original game are excited to dive back into the sprawling world of Death Stranding 2, which Kojima Productions says will be more action-oriented than its slower, more methodical predecessor.
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This approach seems to be paying off, as Hideo Kojima recently claimed that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is scoring higher in pre-launch audience tests than the first game in an interview with Edge Magazine (via VGC). However, while Sony is pleased with this, Kojima wishes that his latest gaming project was a little more divisive. He says that he always listens to players’ criticism and sometimes makes adjustments to certain gameplay elements, but never compromises his overall vision and isn’t interested in “making something that appeals to everyone.”
Hideo Kojima Wishes Death Stranding 2 Was More Controversial
Kojima compared these recent Death Stranding 2 audience tests to the ones for the original game, which he monitored firsthand. He said that at least four out of the ten people testing Death Stranding enjoyed the title, while six marked it as “a terrible game.” While this might be alarming for many developers, Kojima considers it to be a good balance and says that he doesn’t aim to appeal to the mass market or sell millions of copies whenever he starts a new project.
That being said, Kojima acknowledges that his games should be successful for the sake of his staff and studio, even as he wishes to create unique gaming experiences like Metal Gear Solid or Death Stranding. Despite its controversies, the original Death Stranding was a big success, and history could be on the way to repeating itself if the early audience tests for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach are any indication.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- June 26, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
