Kojima Productions’ upcoming narrative-driven action-adventure title, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, has officially received an M18 rating, with details shedding light on the game’s graphic content and thematic intensity.
The game retains the delivery-focused gameplay mechanics of its predecessor, combining exploration, traversal, and tactical combat. Players will control Sam from a third-person perspective, using an array of traversal tools, advanced weapons, and mechanical aids to deliver cargo and complete missions. Successful deliveries enhance Sam’s physical capabilities, reinforcing the game’s core progression loop.
However, the reason behind the M18 classification lies primarily in the game’s depiction of realistic and occasionally grotesque violence. While combat sequences feature blood splatters when Sam engages with human, robotic, or supernatural enemies, the most intense content arises during cinematic scenes. These include graphic portrayals of torture, dismemberment, and flamethrower attacks on humanoid figures. Notably disturbing scenes include the severing of limbs, characters being burned alive, and corpses displayed in bleak settings, such as a beach covered in the lifeless bodies of babies. The rating board specifically notes scenes involving suicide by firearm, characters being shot at point-blank range, and other acts that fall under what it classifies as “realistic violence,” justifying the M18 label.
In addition to violence, the game also features a surreal dream sequence wherein two men embrace and are enveloped by tentacles emerging from their mouths, further emphasizing the game’s psychological and body horror elements. Language use is frequent and strong, including variants of the expletive “f**k” and other vulgarities such as “bitch”, “damn”, and “shit”.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was originally intended as downloadable content (DLC) for the first game. In a recent Koji Pro radio broadcast, director Hideo Kojima mentioned that it was envisioned as a “Death Stranding 1.5.” The game is set to release on June 26, 2025, exclusively for the PlayStation 5.
