Hideo Kojima reveals Death Stranding 2: On the Beach release date, and the Collector's Edition includes exactly what I predicted it would

The Death Stranding 2: On the Beach release date has been confirmed during Hideo Kojima's panel at SXSW.

During the panel, Kojima revealed a new trailer featuring a mix of gameplay and in-game cinematics, which was captured on PS5. That trailer confirms the Death Stranding 2 release date of June 26, 2025, and also offered an extremely in-depth look at the Death Stranding 2 Collector's Edition.

Now, I'm no Death Stranding expert, and I couldn't begin to presume to understand the inner machinations of Kojima's mind, but I will say I'm pretty pleased with my prediction about the contents of that Collector's Edition.

DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH | Pre-Order Trailer - YouTube

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As well as a download code for the game itself, you'll get a collector's box, a 15-inch statue, a letter from Kojima, and a handful of in-game items (with a few more if you pre-order the game, which you'll be able to do from March 17 onwards). Most important to me, however, is the inclusion of a 3-inch Dollman figurine (available on a little keychain), which I totally predicted would be included. You'll have to take my word for that, but I'm sure I wrote it down somewhere.

The fact that Death Stranding 2's release date is this summer is the more surprising reveal from today's panel. While we were expecting the announcement, I had assumed that Kojima Productions would be pushing the date later in the year, but perhaps with the looming threat of GTA 6 still on the horizon, the team decided to go sooner rather than later.

Kojima was joined by a host of friends during the panel, including Sam actor Norman Reedus and musician Woodkid, who he's had a close working relationship with in the past. The full chat is likely to have yielded quite a lot of information about the game, so check back tomorrow where we're sure to have a more in-depth breakdown if you didn't catch it today.

Ok so I know I didn't write this headline about Death Stranding 2 release rumors, but you've gotta believe me when I say I came up with the bit about the puppet.