Kojima Denies Making Death Stranding 3 Despite Its Existence

Hideo Kojima has revealed that he has an idea for Death Stranding 3, but he won't be the one to bring it to life. Dive into the details of how Death Stranding 2 could pave the way for multiple sequels and what's on the horizon for Kojima's future projects.

Death Stranding 2 Sets the Stage for "Endless Sequels"

In an interview with VGC on May 8, Hideo Kojima, the director of Death Stranding 2 (DS2), disclosed that he has conceptualized a potential Death Stranding 3. However, he emphasized that he would not be involved in its development. He pointed to the "Plate Gates" introduced in DS2, which allow the series to explore different countries and potentially create endless sequels. Kojima stated, "If I use this Plate Gate concept, I could make endless sequels." Despite this, he quickly clarified, "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." This means fans may not see a Kojima-directed sequel soon, but the door is open for other developers to continue the series with his blessing.

The Pandemic Influences Death Stranding 2's Theme

Kojima also shared how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the theme of DS2. Released just months before global lockdowns in November 2019, the first game's theme was about connection amid a world heading towards isolation. Kojima explained, "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 highlighted the importance of the Chiral Network, which Kojima likened to the Internet. He noted, "We survived the pandemic because of the Internet and people were connected online." However, he also pointed out that the same Internet now contributes to division, with people increasingly turning to the metaverse and reducing real-life interactions. Kojima reflected, "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."

This realization led Kojima to reconsider the theme of DS2. He initially thought, "Maybe it’s not such a good thing to connect so much," and this shift in perspective is reflected through one of the game's characters. The strands in the game's logos hint at their themes; the first game's concept was "Let’s Connect," while the sequel's theme is "We should not have connected." Kojima hinted, "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 on the Horizon

While Kojima may not lead the next installment in the Death Stranding series, he has other exciting projects in the pipeline. In December 2023, he and filmmaker Jordan Peele announced their upcoming game, OD, at The Game Awards 2023, in collaboration with Microsoft Game Studios. Kojima revealed, "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 collaborating with PlayStation on a "next-generation action espionage game." Announced during PlayStation’s State of Play in January 2024, this will be a new original IP. Kojima aims to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his game production career with this project, stating, "I am confident that this title will be the culmination of my work." Development will begin once DS2 is completed.

Though these projects are still in the future, fans won't have to wait long for new content from Kojima. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is scheduled for release on June 26, 2025, on PlayStation 5. Keep an eye on our Death Stranding 2: On The Beach article for the latest updates!