Summary
- Kojima plans for Death Stranding 2 to be the last entry, maintaining creative control for closure.
- Ending with DS2 could be a redemption for Kojima after MGS5's incomplete ending.
- Despite DS2 potentially concluding the series, fans should not rule out its future.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach hasn't even been released yet, but the possibility of the series ending after the sequel has already become more likely, due to some recent comments made by Hideo Kojima. During an interview with VGC, Kojima indicated that, while he does have a concept in mind for Death Stranding 3, he doesn't intend to direct it. If that's the case, it could be that Death Stranding 2 is going to be the last entry in the series. At the very least, it means that Kojima can end it the way that he wants, and then leave its future in the hands of those he passes the torch to.
While this might be disappointing news for fans looking forward to Death Stranding 2 who would love to see the series continue after the second entry is released, there may be a bit of a silver lining to it. Based on Kojima's history with the Metal Gear Solid series — namely, the fifth installment — his plan for Death Stranding's initial legacy to end with him could be a blessing in disguise. In fact, from a certain perspective, it might even be what's best for Death Stranding in the long run.
How Death Stranding 2's Stealth Is More About Strategy Than Survival
Death Stranding 2 turns stealth into a true strategy, giving players new tools, dynamic systems, and progression that rewards careful, tactical play.
Why Death Stranding 2 Potentially Ending the Series Might Be Kojima's Greatest Gift
Creative Control Guarantees Closure This Time
If Death Stranding has proven anything, it's just how much creative liberty Hideo Kojima has over his projects now that he has his own studio, Kojima Productions. Before leaving Konami, Kojima's signature bizarre ideas were kept in a cage that he didn't own the key to, but that has largely changed with him now at the helm of Kojima Productions. In this position, he can essentially do whatever he wants, and while that might sound like an unstable road to travel on, Death Stranding's critical success, despite a wide range of responses, has something to say about that.
Based on Kojima's history with the Metal Gear Solid series — namely, the fifth installment — his plan for Death Stranding's initial legacy to end with him could be a blessing in disguise.
Now, with Death Stranding 2, Kojima maintains that creative freedom, and that much is made clear by its apparent weirdness, which is arguably on a different level than even its predecessor. However, what this level of creative control also means is that he can end Death Stranding's story the way that he wants to — a luxury he didn't always have access to when working under Konami. Regardless of whether his successors choose to continue Death Stranding's story or bury it in the ground, Death Stranding 2's concluding moments are more than likely going to tie up the story in such a way that the series wouldn't need a third game.
DS2 Being the End Could Be a Redemption Arc After Metal Gear Solid 5
This would be a kind of redemption arc for Kojima's legacy after Metal Gear Solid 5, which was released in 2015 under Konami. The development of Metal Gear Solid 5 was marred by tensions between Kojima and Konami, leading to the game's release without what was apparently the conclusion Kojima had intended for it. Most notably, a significant portion of content, including the "Kingdom of the Flies" chapter, was cut, resulting in a narrative that many fans and critics thought felt incomplete and fragmented.
To this day, fans continue to hope for a Kojima cut of Metal Gear Solid 5, that his original vision for the game might be fully realized.
There have been no definitive remarks made that Death Stranding 2 will be the last game in the series, only that Hideo is currently planning to tie a Kojima-colored bow on it in an effort to guard his personal vision for the franchise. More than likely, this does mean Death Stranding 2's story will be conclusive for the series, but it doesn't necessarily mean that fans should write off its future.
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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
