What We Know About Death Stranding 2 (That You Might’ve Missed)

As Death Stranding 2: On the Beach prepares to make it’s official debut, Kojima Productions has done what it does best: offer just enough cryptic storytelling to get us invested – but without ever really answering our questions.

If you’ve seen the trailers but still feel like you’re untangling a web of strands (get it?), that’s just what Hideo does.

So, here’s a recap of what’s been confirmed and what fans are theorizing about the sequel to one of gaming’s most divisive and debated modern masterpieces.

In a development from the first game, Fragile (played by Léa Seydoux) now leads an organization called Drawbridge – an organization focused on reconnecting distant societies in the still-wrecked world.

Kojima confirmed that she’s the one driving the mission – and it seems Drawbridge is an evolution of Bridges, but darker.

→ Read what Hideo had to say about Fragile in his interview with Playstation.

Yes, Lou is alive! But she’s no longer sealed inside a BB pod – instead, she’s grown up a bit and appears as a walking, talking child. This suggests that Sam has been raising her as his own daughter – with Fragile’s involvement.

But what does this mean for their safety and the evolution of BBs?

Death Stranding 2 introduces new masked, red-cloaked enemies and even more skeleton soldiers – new unknown threats that seem neither living nor spectral.

Kojima has said these enemies reflect a different kind of apocalypse, and Drawbridge appears to be pushing into uncharted territory. So, yes, now we’re fighting against the living, the dead, and whatever else in between.

→ Here’s the Kojima Productions tweet teasing new enemies.

That guitar scene was… interesting.

If you’ve played the first game to completion, you know that Hideo is a fan of combining video game play styles (remember that Mortal Kombat fight?)

Behind-the-scenes footage from Kojima’s Instagram shows mocap scenes involving guitar playing and music. It’s unclear if it’s fully playable, but Kojima has hinted that music will play an even more active role this time around. Not sure how he’s going to top Low Roar from the last game, though.

Elle Fanning’s character introduction has led to widespread speculation. Some believe she’s an experiment for preservation, BB evolution, or she’s tied to UCA technology.

Kojima has offered almost nothing by way of explanation (of course), but we’re pretty sure she’s going to be a big deal.

Death Stranding 2 is doubling down on everything that made the first game so unique: the delivery stints, the loneliness, the cryptic symbolism, the self-monologues, and the beauty of human connection.

But it’s also raising the stakes by introducing an even darker world (who knew that was possible?) and new fights.

All I know is that I’ll be there alongside Sam throughout it all.

You can check out Death Stranding 2: On the Beach on the Playstation Store here.