Even more strangeness or genius: What will Death Stranding 2 be like

Since the announcement, the developers have shared details and trailers for the project. The game will feature both familiar and new characters. The studio has showcased gameplay footage and a cryptic trailer, but the story remains shrouded in mystery. We’ve compiled everything known about the sequel: the story, characters, potential gameplay changes, and the expected release date.

Characters and Cast of Death Stranding 2

Sam Bridges (Norman Reedus)

Image: youtube.comThe protagonist of the first game, a courier who united America and prevented mass extinction. After the events of the first Death Stranding, he chose a life of solitude with his adopted daughter, Lou. However, when new threats arise, Sam is forced to return to help old allies and confront a looming evil.

Fragile (Léa Seydoux)

Image: youtube.comThe former head of the Fragile Express delivery service. She has the ability to teleport via the Beach. In the sequel, she represents the new organization Drawbridge and travels aboard the Magellan airship.

Higgs Monaghan (Troy Baker)

Image: youtube.comThe antagonist of the first game, who was left stranded on the Beach. Not much is known about his role in the sequel, but he has returned with a following of loyalists. He imitates Amelie’s behavior and wears a mask bearing her face.

Tomorrow (Elle Fanning)

Image: youtube.comA girl discovered inside a tar cocoon. She comes from a world where children are not born naturally. The mystery surrounding her identity is one of the major plotlines in the sequel.

Rainy (Shioli Kutsuna)

Image: reddit.comA pregnant woman who travels aboard the Magellan. Not much is known about her, but whenever she touches her belly, the sound of bells can be heard.

Tarman (Marty Rhone)

Image: youtube.comThe captain of the Magellan, a physician, and a geophysicist. He owns a tar-covered cat with wings.

Dollman (Jonathan Roumie)

Image: youtube.comA living doll that was once a human and worked as a medium. Now, he travels with Sam.

Heartman (Darren Jacobs / Nicolas Winding Refn)

Image: youtube.comThe charismatic scientist returns. He dies every 21 minutes. The trailer mentions his home, but it remains unclear if players will be able to explore it.

Deadman (Jesse Corti)

Image: youtube.comAnother returning character from the first game. It is unclear if he will physically appear in the sequel, but Jesse Corti’s voice is heard in the trailer.

Neil (Luca Marinelli)

Image: youtube.comA mysterious character played by Luca Marinelli has already sparked heated discussions among fans. In one scene, he puts on a bandana and leads a squad of undead soldiers. This imagery immediately evokes two iconic figures: Cliff Unger from the first Death Stranding and Solid Snake from Metal Gear. Like Cliff, Neil commands skeletons in military gear, and his appearance strongly resembles the legendary stealth-action protagonist.

What role Neil will play in the Death Stranding 2 story remains a mystery, but one thing is clear—this character is no coincidence.

Story of Death Stranding 2

In the Death Stranding universe, the threat of mass extinction has not disappeared. While it seemed at the end of the first game that the catastrophe had been averted, humanity still faces annihilation. Expanding the Chiral Network remains crucial to survival, but the old methods no longer work.

The organization Bridges has ceased to exist. Sam Bridges left, and much has changed since. The group of friends from the first game is no more. Now, the Chiral Network is controlled by the United Cities of America, and deliveries are handled by automated bots. People who were once connected are drifting apart again.

Image: youtube.comIn place of Bridges, a new organization called Drawbridge has emerged. It continues expanding the network but operates independently from the UCA and is funded by an anonymous benefactor. As their mobile base, Drawbridge members use the DHV Magellan, an airship capable of traversing the tar that links the physical world with the otherworldly Beach.

The ship will serve as the setting for much of the game. Based on hints in the trailers, Death Stranding 2 will not be confined to the United States. At the very least, Mexico will be one of the locations.

Sam will once again face Higgs Monaghan, the main antagonist of the first game. Despite being left on the Beach, he managed to escape and has gathered a devoted following. His appearance has changed—he now wears a red mask, seemingly molded from Amelie’s face, and mimics her mannerisms. He also wields an electric guitar capable of delivering shocks and commands a fleet of robots. His motives remain unclear, but he is undoubtedly a threat to the protagonists.

Image: youtube.comWhat happened to Sam all these years remains a mystery. At the end of the first game, he took Bridge Baby Lou and left the world he knew. At some point, the infant ended up in Fragile’s care, but her shelter was attacked by unknown assailants.

Fragile managed to escape, but Lou disappeared. Sam claims that his adoptive daughter is dead, but hints in the trailers suggest otherwise. In one scene, a cybernetic samurai with a baby’s voice rescues Sam from villains, while Higgs, whom Sam suspects of killing Lou, cryptically states that he “knows nothing about her.”

Image: youtube.comFurther complicating matters is a report from Deadman. According to Bridges records, BB-28—Lou’s official designation—was deemed defective and destroyed years before the events of the first game. The sequel will undoubtedly explore the mystery surrounding Lou and her true significance.

After the events of the first game, Fragile founded Drawbridge. The organization continues expanding the Chiral Network under the UCA’s directive, financed by an unknown benefactor.

The group’s main base is the Magellan, a vessel capable of traversing the tar that links the physical world to the Beach. This ship will serve as Sam’s new home, where he can rest and plan his missions.

Image: youtube.comKojima raises a philosophical question: should people have connected in the first place? This phrase appears in both the teaser and the full trailer, suggesting that the game will explore the consequences of hyperconnectivity and its downsides. Death Stranding 2 is set to be darker than the first game. According to Norman Reedus, the sequel has a more aggressive atmosphere, with the characters actively fighting against circumstances rather than merely surviving and observing the world.

Gameplay and Changes

The first glimpses of Death Stranding 2 hint at familiar yet refined gameplay mechanics. Based on the trailer, exploration of a ruined world, cargo deliveries, and the use of the Chiral Network remain core elements. However, the sequel will introduce new mechanics that have yet to be fully revealed.

The world’s technology has also evolved. There are now moving gloves that assist Sam in his travels and living dolls, one of which—Dollman—can even speak. The Magellan airship is shown in the trailer emerging from a baby’s mouth.

Death Stranding 2 Release Date

The exact release date remains unknown, but the game is scheduled for launch in 2025. It is being developed exclusively for PlayStation 5. There has been no confirmation of a PC version yet, but given that the first game was also initially a PlayStation exclusive before arriving on PC, a similar approach could be taken.

Main image: youtube.com