Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Exact Release Time

In June 2025, Kojima Productions is set to release one of the most talked-about sequels in recent memory: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The game marks four decades of Hideo Kojima’s career as a visionary game director. Early testers and critics initially praised the game as a polished, genre-defining masterpiece — until Kojima personally altered key plot elements to steer the narrative away from expectations.

What came out of that creative shake-up? You can find out for yourself by playing the game, so here’s your Death Stranding 2: Exact Release Time article with a full breakdown of launch times across all major regions.

Death Stranding 2 Exact Release Time

A few days before launch, Kojima Productions shared detailed timing information with major media outlets already buzzing about Death Stranding 2 and tips, walkthroughs, and spoiler-free guides. The official Death Stranding 2 Exact Release Time region list confirms that the game will follow a rolling midnight release, unlocking locally at midnight in each region.

Here’s the global Death Stranding 2: On The Beach standard release schedule:

Thursday, June 26, 2025, at midnight (local time)

• 12:00 AM PDT (Los Angeles)
• 12:00 AM CDT (Mexico City/ Chicago)
• 12:00 AM EDT (New York)
• 12:00 AM CLT (Santiago)
• 12:00 AM BRT (São Paulo)
• 12:00 AM BST (London)
• 12:00 AM CEST (Berlin)
• 12:00 AM GST (Dubai)
• 12:00 AM CST (Beijing)
• 12:00 AM KST (Seoul)
• 12:00 AM JST (Tokyo)
• 12:00 AM AEST (Sydney)

Kojima’s latest feels like more than just a sequel — it’s cultural. The game expands beyond post-apocalyptic America to explore regions like Australia and Mexico, with Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) returning as the connective tissue of humanity. Fragile (Léa Seydoux) returns, and new characters like Tomorrow (Elle Fanning) debut. And as usual, Kojima is doing it his way: from game teasers to his hyper-stylized Instagram posts, he’s made the launch a full-blown event. Fun fact: Kojima reportedly made a significant change to the script after test audiences responded too positively.

Death Stranding 2 Critics Review

The first reviews for Death Stranding 2 are here, and people are saying it’s a powerful and emotional sequel. Many praise the way the story takes unexpected turns and how the world feels bigger and more alive. The game’s mix of new ideas and quiet, thoughtful moments stands out. Players also seem impressed by how much smoother the movement feels this time and how strange and beautiful the new locations are.

• On Metacritic, the game currently sits at a 90/100 from critics and TBD from users.

These scores are currently slightly behind the main contender for the 2025 Game of the Year award, the French debut Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, set for PC and consoles. However, things could still change after the full official release of the game, so it's too early to say which title has the better chance of taking home the trophy.

Should you play the first title before DS2?

Death Stranding 2 is built to welcome new players, but it’s also packed with callbacks, emotional arcs, and systems that only returning fans will fully appreciate. That raises an important question: Should You Play Death Stranding 1 before Death Stranding 2? About whether it's worth diving into the original first, especially if you're hoping to grasp the deeper meaning behind Sam’s journey. While the sequel can stand on its own, playing the first game adds a level of connection that newcomers might otherwise miss.