The new year porters (get it?) with it fresh and exciting developments regarding Death Stranding 2. Hideo Kojima, chief mastermind behind the original Death Stranding, has shared an update on the sequel’s progress, revealing the various projects occupying his schedule for the year.
Despite expectations that Death Stranding 2 would be featured at The Game Awards 2023, the game was missing from the said event, joining several other awaited titles not showcased at the year-ending showcase. This absence left fans eager for any news on the sequel.
Addressing this anticipation, Kojima shared that 2024 would see the “simultaneous production” for Death Stranding 2 but also for its upcoming horror game, OD.
Kojima disclosed that Death Stranding 2 is still undergoing Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) work. Following this, the team will begin recording Japanese voice-overs. This phase of development is crucial for enhancing the game’s auditory experience, as it involves re-recording dialogue in a controlled environment to replace the parts of the audio captured during motion capture sessions. These sessions can sometimes yield audio that is unclear or muffled, which necessitates the ADR process to ensure clarity and quality in the game’s sound design.
2024 will be a bustling year for Kojima, as he plans to engage in various activities beyond game development. One of the foremost auteurs in the entertainment industry, Kojima has other commitments like shooting for OD, collaborating with a high-profile team (humorously referred to as “the Avengers”), transforming Death Stranding into a movie, and working on additional video productions. Kojima’s schedule is a testament to his multifaceted role in the gaming and media industry, despite his advancing age.
Interestingly, Kojima also mentioned plans to revive “Hide Radio” and to run special programs on “HideTube,” which is indicative of his still-strong desire to engage more with his audience through these platforms. Furthermore, he hinted at adding another writing series, expanding his creative influence beyond game development.
In the meantime, the first trailer for Death Stranding 2, released over a year ago, continues to leave fans with different questions about its plot and characters. Fans are curious about developments such as Sam’s aging, Fragile’s repaired skin, and the role of Elle Fanning’s character. These unanswered questions have only heightened anticipation for the game’s next trailer. Not to mention, Kojima’s decision to constantly refer to the sequel as just “DS2” and being revealed as “DEATH STRANDING 2 (Working title)” suggests that Kojima has bigger if more mysterious plans for the upcoming follow-up.
If nothing else, the flexibility in titling reflects Kojima’s approach, often leaving fans guessing about its final outcome.
The development of the Death Stranding sequel and OD has faced challenges, particularly in staffing due to the global pandemic. However, these challenges have presumably eased, allowing Kojima Productions to expand its team. It has now grown from 4 to 80 people during the development of the first Death Stranding, now boasts well over 150 staff members, including their film, music, and TV division in Los Angeles.
Kojima Productions’ new office, completed in December 2022, enhances their production capabilities. The studio now has the facilities to record instruments, Foley, and voices in-house, as well as perform large-scale post-production work with stereoscopic sound. This self-sufficiency marks a significant step up from the days of renting studios from a huge Metal Gear fan a few years back.
With performance capture for Death Stranding 2 seemingly complete and only some ADR remaining, it appears to be in its final stages. If we’re lucky, we’ll see a proper release date reveal trailer sometime this year, which isn’t too far off from the game’s “original” release window.
