Kojima Denies Making Death Stranding 3 Despite Its Existence

Hideo Kojima has already conceptualized what could be Death Stranding 3, but he will not be at the helm of its development. Dive into the details of how Death Stranding 2 might pave the way for multiple sequels and what lies ahead in Kojima's creative journey.

Death Stranding 3 May Not Be Under Kojima’s Lead

Death Stranding 2 Makes Way For "Endless Sequels"

In an interview with VGC on May 8, Hideo Kojima, the director of Death Stranding 2 (DS2), disclosed that he has a concept for what could become Death Stranding 3. However, he confirmed that he will not be involved in its creation. Kojima highlighted a new feature in DS2 called "Plate Gates," which he believes could open the door to an endless series of sequels by allowing the game to explore different countries. He stated, "If I use this Plate Gate concept, I could make endless sequels." Despite this potential, Kojima firmly stated, "I, of course, don’t have any plans to do that, but I already have a concept for another sequel. I am not going to make it myself, but if I passed it on to someone else, they could probably make it." While fans might miss out on a Kojima-directed sequel, the door remains open for other developers to carry on his vision.

The Pandemic Changed Death Stranding 2’s Theme

Kojima also shared insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the thematic direction of DS2. The original Death Stranding was released in November 2019, just before the global lockdown began. Reflecting on the pre-COVID world, Kojima remarked, "The world was heading towards isolation and division, such as the UK leaving the EU. So I was saying, ‘Let’s connect. We’re headed for disaster if we don’t connect.’ That was the theme, story, and gameplay for Death Stranding."

The pandemic, according to Kojima, underscored the game's theme of connectivity, likening the Chiral Network to the real-world Internet. He noted, "We survived the pandemic because of the Internet and people were connected online." Yet, he also pointed out the irony that the same Internet now fosters division, as people increasingly turn to the metaverse and screen-based interactions. Kojima expressed concern over this shift, stating, "Communication between human beings is not meant to be this way. You meet people by chance or see sights you didn’t expect to see. With the way we were headed, you would lose all of that."

The lockdown experience led Kojima to reconsider the theme of connectivity in DS2. He pondered, "Maybe it’s not such a good thing to connect so much," a sentiment that influenced the character development in the sequel. The strands in the game's logos are symbolic of these themes; the first game promoted connection, while the sequel questions it. Kojima teased, "When you really start thinking about what it means to connect, you start to wonder… That’s all I’ll say for now."

More Projects To Come

Even though Kojima will not direct the next installment in the Death Stranding series, his creative output will continue to expand. In December 2023, at The Game Awards, he and Jordan Peele unveiled their new project, OD, developed in collaboration with Microsoft Game Studios. Kojima shared, "The project we’re working on with Microsoft is one I have been thinking about for five or six years already. The project required infrastructure that was never needed before, so I discussed it with lots of different big companies and gave presentations, but they really seemed to think that I was mad."

Additionally, Kojima is teaming up with PlayStation for a "next-generation action espionage game," announced during PlayStation’s State of Play in January 2024. This game will mark a new original IP and a significant milestone for Kojima, who said, "I will celebrate the 40th anniversary of my game production career. I am confident that this title will be the culmination of my work." The development of this new game will commence once DS2 is completed.

While these upcoming projects are on the horizon, fans can look forward to the imminent release of Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, scheduled for June 26, 2025, exclusively on PlayStation 5. Stay tuned to our Death Stranding 2: On The Beach article for the latest updates!