Kojima's Death Stranding 2 Wows Playtesters

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach director Hideo Kojima reportedly made significant changes to the game midway through development, after playtesters responded "too positively" to early versions—a reaction the creator took as a sign the game was becoming "too mainstream."

The insight comes from Yoann "Woodkid" Lemoine, who collaborated with Kojima on the soundtrack for the upcoming sequel. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Lemoine discussed his creative process, both with and without Kojima, and the complexities of composing for a game that evolves dynamically as players advance.

Notably, he also recalled Kojima sharing his concern that players were "enjoying [Death Stranding 2] too much"—something Kojima considered a red flag. "When something is liked too easily, it likely isn't pushing boundaries enough," Kojima remarked.

"We had a crucial conversation about halfway through development," Woodkid explained. "He came to me and said, 'We have a problem.'"

"He was very honest: 'We tested the game with players and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. They enjoyed it too much, which tells me something is off. We need to make changes.' Kojima then revised parts of the script and altered key moments in the game, believing his work wasn't polarizing enough and failed to evoke strong emotional responses."

According to Kojima, universal acceptance indicates a work is "mainstream, conventional, and pre-digested for mass appeal."

"I don't want that," Kojima told Lemoine. "I want players to gradually appreciate elements they weren't initially drawn to—that's where true passion grows."

For Woodkid, hearing this approach "felt like a real lesson"—one that inspired him "not to create simply to please, but to challenge and move audiences."

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Anticipation continues to build—Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launches on June 26, 2025. In addition to the sequel, Hideo Kojima is developing a live-action Death Stranding film with A24, recently announced plans for a Death Stranding anime adaptation, and is also working on a PlayStation-exclusive action-espionage title codenamed Physint. He has described the Xbox-published OD as "a game I have always wanted to make."

Earlier this month, the ESRB hinted that Death Stranding 2 players may be able to use a guitar as a lethal weapon.