This article contains possible spoilers for Death Stranding 2.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’s ESRB rating has appeared online a few weeks before the game is set to launch. The sequel to Hideo Kojima’s post-apocalyptic action-adventure title picks up where the firstDeath Strandingleaves off, with Sam Porter Bridges and Fragile working to reconnect the world through their new organization Drawbridge.Death Stranding 2will also introduce several new characters and gameplay concepts, and Kojima has even suggested it could be the last entry in the budding franchise.
Death Stranding 2launches on PlayStation 5 on June 26, so there is still time for new information about the game to be revealed before it hits stores. Hideo Kojima himself will appear at the upcoming Summer Game Fest 2025 later this week, and there is aspecialDeath Stranding 2Game Premiereevent scheduled for June 8. Kojima will be joined by some special guests at this event, and there will even be live footage ofDeath Stranding 2in action.
In the meantime, fans have a clearer picture of what toexpect fromDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach, which now has an official rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board. According to theESRBwebsite,Death Stranding 2is rated “M” for “Mature,” with the description text mentioning Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, and Violence as the reasons for this.
The ESRB’s Rating Summary forDeath Stranding 2goes further into why the game has the rating it does, describing how players engage in combat against human enemies, robots, and “ghostly apparitions” -most likely the tar-like BTsfrom the previous game. Sam will wield melee weapons (such as a “battle guitar”) and firearms and use stealth takedowns to kill enemies. Non-combat-related moments of violence seemingly include a man’s hands and legs sliced off by a robotic samurai, a man being set on fire, and a man being cut in half by a giant machine.
These descriptions from the ESRB might not come as too much of a surprise, as the originalDeath Strandingand its laterDirector’s Cutalso had an M Rating for similar reasons. WhileDeath Stranding 2could be the last mainline gamein the series, a live-actionDeath Strandingmovie is in the works at A24, and aDeath Strandinganime adaptation was also recently confirmed. Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions are involved with both projects.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA. Sam—with companions by his side—sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles and a haunting question: should we have connected? Step by step, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima changes the world once again.
