Death Stranding 2 storyline reportedly leaked ahead of June 26 launch

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will be released for Sony PlayStation 5 on June 26. Consumers who pre-ordered the game are now receiving an early access

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’s first hour of gameplay has reportedly been leaked online just days ahead of its launch. According to a report by EuroGamer, a creator on YouTube has uploaded the first hour of the gameplay on June 22 and wrote: "First part of Death Stranding [2] before everyone else." The video now stands removed following a copyright claim by MarkScan Enforcement, a company that protects intellectual property IP rights, particularly against online piracy and counterfeiting. 

 

It is unclear how the YouTuber got access to the game even before the early access began for consumers who pre-ordered the digital deluxe edition. However, within five minutes of the video, a pop-up reportedly appeared inviting the player to apply a new update, suggesting that the person somehow got access through a physical copy offline.

 

According to a report by IGN, Hideo Kojima, Japanese video game designer and the person behind the development of “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach,” recently shared that he overhauled large sections of Death Stranding 2 mid-development. According to him, early play tests were “too positive,” prompting concern that the game might become too mainstream. Kojima also acknowledged that he came close to scrapping the project entirely because of several challenges during its development, as reported by IGN.

 

For the unaware, the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is likely to pick up the mantle approximately 11 months after form where its prequel Death Stranding left it.

What is Death Stranding all about

Death Stranding presents a unique spin on the post-apocalyptic genre. Instead of destruction by zombies, war, or natural disaster, the world is upended by a mysterious event known as the “Death Stranding.” This triggers the arrival of ghost-like entities called “Beached Things” (BTs) in the living world. Their presence causes devastating “voidouts”—explosions that erase everything in their path and leave massive craters behind.

 

In the wake of this event, the world transforms in strange and dangerous ways. A new particle, chiralium, begins to spread, and rain becomes “timefall,” which rapidly ages anything it touches. With BTs often appearing during these storms, what’s left of humanity retreats into isolated, underground cities. In this disconnected world, Porters—brave individuals who travel across hazardous terrain—become vital for delivering supplies and keeping communities linked.

The story centres on Sam Bridges, a porter working for a company called BRIDGES. More than just a courier, Sam is responsible for re-establishing a communications system known as the Chiral Network across scattered cities called KNOTs. His journey involves not just reconnecting people, but restoring a sense of unity in a broken society. In Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Sam returns for another mission—this time, to reconnect Australia and build a new network to prevent another extinction-level threat, just as he helped save the United States in the first game.