Director Hideo Kojima says that Death Stranding 2 concept art he posted online this summer doesn’t reflect plans for a potential sequel, but rather ideas that he has for what it might look like. The art in question was shared on Twitter, showing a vehicle emblazoned with the word “Bridges,” which ties it to the family and organization at the center of Death Stranding.
Death Stranding had a lot of anticipation surrounding its release, mainly due to it being a post-Metal Gear project from series creator Hideo Kojima. The director is known for the high-minded and complicated stories in game’s he’s headed, and pre-release information about Death Stranding showed that this one would be no different. Strange details like a number of celebrity cameos and rampant Monster energy drink product placement only added to the game’s oddball reputation. Upon its release, Death Stranding proved to be as high-concept and as baffling as most players were expecting, leaving many ready for more of the game’s unique approach.
While Kojima’s Death Stranding 2 concept art fueled hype that a sequel to the 2019 release could be on the way, he now says that that may not necessarily be the case. In an interview with IGN, Kojima clarified that the piece he shared this summer shows just a glimpse at an idea for a potential game rather than an actual hint at what’s to come in Death Stranding 2.
"I'm always thinking about ideas as I'm working on games. These aren't major plans, but just fragments of new ideas."
While Kojima’s ship design may not actually be a behind-the-scenes look at Death Stranding 2, that doesn’t necessarily mean that his studio, Kojima Productions, isn’t working on a sequel. Kojima has clearly put some thought into a Death Stranding sequel, as he’s elaborated on how the studio might approach it before. Kojima Productions has also started work on a new game, as the studio announced in a recent tweet inviting developers to apply for newly open positions. Of course, rather than Death Stranding 2, it could just as easily be the horror game that Kojima has spoken about wanting to make or an entirely different project altogether.
Kojima’s comments don’t mean that Death Stranding 2 isn’t happening, or even that his concept art wouldn’t make it into a sequel in some form or another. They’re just a reminder that it takes a lot of experimentation to arrive at a finished game, and not every sketch is going to make it into the final product. It’s just that with a director like Hideo Kojima, there are a lot of people keeping an eye out for a clue about what’s next.
Source: IGN