Fresh Death Stranding 2 preview showcases a recognizable bandana and an armament that legally outclasses Metal Gear.

A new trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has dropped. It puts a ten-minute dent into the upcoming open world game‘s enigma, but the most tantalising question still remains: is Kojima using that subtitle to deliberately remind everybody of the original’s most infamous scene? Bold choice if so, although not the only one. Here’s the trailer, complete with familiar mechs and very familiar bandanas. See Konami, this is what happens when you pop out for five minutes to re-release Suikoden.

Alongside The Solitude of Prime Numbers’s Luca Marinelli wearing a Snakely bandana and a Rex-reminiscent mech, the trailer also has a console release date: 26th June 2025, or 63 days before Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. This is approximately enough time for players unfamiliar with Kojima’s works to pick up Death Stranding 2 on a whim, finish it, buy Delta of out curiosity, then think “hey, this Snake guy is a total rip-off of Luca Marinelli’s character!”. A paratextual commentary on identity, memory, and hero worship? Kojima you sly old dog, you’ve done it again!

Shared as part of a panel at SXSW, the trailer joins news of an orchestral concert and a watch. Why, you could wear the watch to the concert and draw attention to yourself in the queue by loudly asking “what time does this thing start, anyway?!” and theatrically glaring at your wrist, then smarmily asking “oh, this old thing?” at great volume to no-one in particular. You’d be really cool if you did that.

It took about eight months for Death Stranding to break console containment. If this follows suit, we might well see the sequel on PC by the end of the year. I reckon we got the best of both worlds with the original’s late release though: more time to play other games, and a shiny Director’s Cut to boot. I enjoyed it so much I was compelled to spill words aplenty on pizza.