There’s a bit of a buzz in the gaming community around Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and it’s not all positive, though I guess there’s no real surprise there as the previous entry in the series was wildly divisive with some fans calling it a masterpiece while others said it was a glorified delivery sim. This time however, the conversation brewing has less to do with the quality of the game, and far more to do with the sales and publicity.
While Hideo Kojima has publicly expressed satisfaction with the game’s critical reception, praising its review scores and fan engagement and enjoyment during the World Strand Tour 2, some behind-the-scenes speculation paints a more complicated picture for the gaming genius. Despite the game’s artistic ambition and emotional depth that Kojima’s games have become widely praised for over the years, its underwhelming commercial performance has been disappointing compared to Sony’s expectations.
PlayStation, typically quick to brag about all of their impressive sales milestones for exclusives like Spider-Man 2 or The Last of Us, has remained conspicuously silent on Death Stranding 2’s numbers nearly two months post-launch. This absence of public praise has led many industry analysts and invested fans to suspect that the game may have missed internal expectations.
I can imagine that due to the first game’s exclusivity and mixed reception, its sequel needed to be something truly incredible to overcome the cards stacked against it. However, with Kojima behind the wheel, a stellar cast, a moving story, and an expansive world to explore, I thought it would overcome its challenges regardless.
Adding fuel to the steadily growing fire, some insiders suggest Kojima himself may be less-than quietly frustrated, and not with the game’s content this time, but with its platform exclusivity leading to fewer people getting their hands on the seemingly highly anticipated title. Death Stranding 2 launched solely on PlayStation 5, and there’s a fair bit of insider chatter that Kojima wishes it had also dropped on PC and Xbox on launch.
Given his ongoing collaboration with Xbox Game Studios on the upcoming experimental thriller title OD, and his commonly known appreciation for PC gaming through Steam and the like, it’s plausible that he sees broader platform reach as essential for future projects. One can only hope, as players should be given the power to choose where they play their games, rather than having to get multiple consoles just to keep up with their favorite creators.
The lack of a simultaneous PC and Xbox release have definitely limited the sequel’s exposure, especially considering the original Death Stranding found a second life and expanded audience on Steam and Xbox. My first time playing it was the Director’s cut on Xbox, and it really got me excited for the sequel until I learned of its exclusivity, though hopefully timed, as I don’t want to wait another five years to play it on my black mini fridge of gaming goodness.
Interestingly enough, Kojima has already written a concept for Death Stranding 3, but he’s indicated that he will likely not direct it himself as he wants to pass on the torch to younger creators for the franchise. That could signal a shift in the studio’s focus towards new creative ventures like OD and PHYSINT. Whether this pivot stems from fatigue, frustration, or simply a hunger for fresh challenges, it’s clear that Kojima Productions is entering a transitional phase.
I can’t help but think that Kojima now has to reconsider how and where he tells his next story and hopefully get his team to focus on providing titles to a growing audience across multiple gaming platforms. If the title had released on everything at once, I don’t think we’d be having this conversation, and the community would simply be enjoying the game as much as Kojima desired they would. I’m looking forward to a day when console exclusivity doesn’t exist, and with recent developments, I’m optimistic that the day I’m waiting for will come soon!
