Death Stranding 2: Release date, launch time, early access and more
Stepping on the beach.
Hideo Kojima is back with a new game, following up his 2019 strand-like with a fresh new sequel – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
Following the story of Sam Bridges after his trek to reconnect the US after the Death Stranding, On the Beach will see him head abroad, connecting Mexico and Australia next.
It's a big year for Kojima fans, as we have a Metal Gear remake on the way too, with Metal Gear Solid: Delta fast approaching.
But for now, let's take a look at when the Death Stranding 2 release date and time is, as well as gameplay and story details.
When is Death Stranding 2 release date and launch time
Death Stranding 2 releases at 12am BST on 26th June 2025.
We would love to give you a list of what time the game releases in every time zone, but unfortunately, Kojima Productions has opted for a rather bizarre launch pattern, with some time zones getting it at midnight local time (like the UK), while others seem to be getting it earlier.
It appears that the game will release in your country at midnight in your country's easternmost time zone. For countries like the UK, that's not an issue, as we only have one time zone here, but for others, it's a bit more complex.
So, if you live in the United States or Canada, the game will release across the country at 12am ET on 26th June, which corresponds to 11pm CT / 9pm PT on 25th June.
If you're in Canada, the game will in fact launch one hour earlier, at 12am AT on 26th June, as Canada has one extra eastern time zone than the US – confusing, we know.
Basically, just look up whatever your easternmost time zone is, and whenever that hits 12am on 26th June, that's when the game will be available.
When is the Death Stranding 2 early access release?
Death Stranding 2 launches in early access at 12am BST on 24th June 2025.
The early access is available to all players who purchase the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Digital Deluxe Edition.
Annoyingly, the same strange time zone rollout for the full release date applies for the early access release too, so read our brief explainer on how it works above for the full details, but TL:DR, the game will release in your country at midnight in your country's easternmost time zone.
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Death Stranding 2 pre-order
Death Stranding 2 is currently available to pre-order.
Players can purchase both the Standard Edition for £69.99 and the Collector's Edition (£219.99) directly from the PlayStation store.
The game is also available to pre-order at the following retailers:
UK
USA
And if all of that wasn't enough for you, there's also a limited-edition Death Stranding 2 PS5 controller that will be launching alongside the game in June.
Which consoles and platforms can play Death Stranding 2?
Death Stranding 2 is a PS5 exclusive.
Like the first one, and the Metal Gear Solid series before it, Death Stranding 2 is going to be a PlayStation exclusive at launch. That means initially it will be released on PlayStation 5.
However, as the first Death Stranding eventually came out on PC, we expect this may happen with the sequel at some point, probably after a year of PS5 exclusivity.
The game even made its way onto Xbox, featuring on Xbox Game Pass for a period of time, though it has since been removed from the service.
Death Stranding 2 gameplay and story details
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach takes Sam on a mission of human connection beyond the UCA, in a new journey to save humanity from extinction.
As per the official Kojima Productions website, "Death Stranding 2: On the Beach sees Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux and Troy Baker return to Hideo Kojima’s genre defying universe. They will be joined by Elle Fanning, Shioli Kutsuna, and Academy Award-winning film director George Miller."
That's one heck of a cast, and one that was recently added to with the introduction of Neil, played by Italian actor Luca Marinelli, who appears to be a soldier in charge of some kind of paramilitary group and someone who bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain Solid Snake.
The PlayStation Store has a little more information regarding the game's plot (you can also wishlist it there), detailing: "Sam – with companions by his side – sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction.
"Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles and a haunting question: Should we have connected?
"Step by step, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima changes the world once again."
In terms of gameplay, it looks like we can expect something similar to that of the first game but with new enemies to face and environments to tackle.
Check out the 10-minute long trailer in the intro of this page to see plenty of the game in action and to learn more about its plot.
Oh, there's also the ludicrously detailed photo mode:
Death Stranding 2 trailer
As well as the above trailer, another trailer was unveiled at the Game Awards in 2023, and we'll share it below.
This was followed by the pre-order trailer that was released at SXSW in March 2025, which included more information about the story and gameplay, as well as release date and pre-order info:
Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Ben Huxley is a freelance contributor to Radio Times, with bylines also in TechRadar, WhatCulture, GAMINGbible, and Live Science. A writer of fiction, too, he has a few short stories published and a novel on the way. He has a BA in English Literature, and an MA in creative writing.
