Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has just received an official rating from the South Korean GRAC, the Game Rating and Administration Committee. The game has been vetoed for minors, with the following summary of its content:
An adventure game about delivering parcels across a post-apocalyptic world and connecting cities to save humanity.
＊ Excessive violence
– There is red blood and bodily harm during combat using weapons during the game.
＊ Excessive vulgar language, profanity, and swearing
– There is excessive vulgar vulgarity and swearing during the game (f＊＊k, a＊＊h＊＊e, s＊＊t, d＊＊n, h＊＊ys＊＊t, etc.)
＊ Direct drug use
– Smoking and drinking scenes are depicted during the game.
Therefore, according to Article 21 of the Act on Promotion of the Game Industry and Article 7, Paragraph 4 of the Rating Classification Regulations, it has been rated as ‘Not available to minors’.
What fans will be interested in, though, is the mere fact that it was rated. Usually, this means the game is close to its launch window. Ubisoft Massive’s Star Wars Outlaws was rated in late March and subsequently launched in late August, but there were cases where the rating only appeared around three months before the game’s release date. As such, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach might be coming within the first half of the year. A release date could be announced at the upcoming State of Play, rumored to take place next week.
It’s not that surprising, considering that creator Hideo Kojima said back in May 2024 that the game had already entered the ‘adjustment phase’, with voice acting and motion capture already done. Fans got an extended look at the sequel at the Tokyo Game Show 2024, where Kojima showed some of the new characters, such as Rainy (played by Shioli Kutsuna, previously seen in Deadpool & Wolverine and The Invasion), Tomorrow (played by Elle Fanning, known for Super 8, Maleficent, and The Great), Dollman (played by Jonathan Roumie, mainly known for playing Jesus in The Chosen), and Heartman (played by Darren Jacobs, who was featured in Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver). Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Troy Baker are returning as Sam Porter Bridges, Fragile, and Higgs. Players will also find the likenesses of Mad Max creator George Miller and In The Shade director Fatih Akin.
Just like the first game, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has been made with Guerrilla’s Decima Engine. It will launch on PlayStation 5 first, though there’s a solid chance it will make it not only on PC like the first one but even on Xbox, following Kojima Productions’ recent acquisition of the IP from Sony.
