Hideo Kojima Explains Why Death Stranding 2 Is Set for a June Launch Rather Than September

So, here’s the thing. I was listening to Hideo Kojima’s KOJI10 podcast—episode 16, I think?—and he dropped some nuggets about why “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach” is hitting shelves in June. I mean, who knew game launch dates could be so… complicated?

Anyway, the episode got some izakaya vibes—you know, those cozy Japanese pubs? Kojima doesn’t drink, though. Nope. So when someone asked, “Hey, why June for Death Stranding 2? Not September or something?” he had a chuckle. “I’m not drunk,” he says, while explaining the whole web of reasons.

Turns out, it’s not like Kojima can just say, “Hey, let’s launch today!” No, no. It’s got everything to do with starting development and all those calendar conflicts, budgeting, and even what other games are up to. Who would’ve thought?

He mentioned something about Sony’s game line-up. Like, there are heaps of Sony titles, and Death Stranding 2 can’t just butt heads with them. It’s a whole strategy, kinda like when your fave movie doesn’t drop on the same day as some blockbuster.

To get more into it—and I swear, it felt like my brain almost melted trying to keep track—Ghost of Yotei (yeah, the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima) is coming on October 2. Also, Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater’s out August 28. And there’s that Gearbox’s Borderlands 4, which got shuffled around September like it was playing musical chairs. Basically, if Death Stranding 2 tried for September, it’d be elbowed out by all these heavy hitters.

Then Kojima sort of sighed and mused, “Generally, games sell well in October and November, but June it is!” Reminds him of those nostalgic November launches like MGS2 in North America. Such a conundrum because, hey, the release calendar isn’t easy to navigate.

There’s this tension, it seems, where if a big game suddenly announced it was dropping, say, GTA 6 in November, everyone scrambles to move their dates. It’s almost like the game of chicken runs digital. And the kicker? A game, Kojima said, might take players ages to finish. Imagine committing months to one game when another drops.

Oh, and yeah, sometimes producers just flip their launch dates to dodge clashes. Case in point: Sega and Like A Dragon: Pirates in Hawaii. Scooted up a week because, well, Monster Hunter Wilds was coming.

He threw in a strategy gem: February could be a sweet spot for launching brand new IPs. Lighter competition. But only if you don’t crash into Monster Hunter, huh?

Anyway, there’s tons more on Death Stranding 2—interviews, early peeks, the usual. If you’re keen, you might want to dive into that.

And quick shoutout to Verity Townsend. She’s out in Japan, digging into games, culture, movies—all the good stuff.