Death Stranding 2: On the Beach released on June 27, 2025, to high critical acclaim. In a recent interview with Denfaminicogamer commemorating the release, Death Stranding series director Hideo Kojima talked about the underlying themes of the sequel, as well as his anxieties regarding people’s relationship with the Internet and AI. While Kojima says he’s not trying to preach to people to stop using the Internet, he wants players to find their own answers on how to use the technology through experiencing Death Stranding 2.
The first Death Stranding was made around the theme of “connections,” both in a figurative and a literal sense, as you’re put in the role of a delivery man whose main goal is to “reconnect” the post-apocalyptic United States. However, in Death Stranding 2, Kojima tries to deliver a completely opposite message, implying that “connections” – more specifically, the internet and its algorithms – may also be quite dangerous in current day and age.
Kojima believes the real threat is not “being too connected,” per se, but rather the possibility of being led into making decisions – through algorithms and AI. “It’s not that I’m trying to say that technology is bad, but, as an example, the AI assistant in my phone tries to suggest me a lot of different things – personally, I kind of hate that.”
In the past few years, people are becoming aware of the overwhelming presence of AI, autosuggestions, chatbots and similar online tools whose original purpose is to “make our lives easier.” While an AI generated response to your question may sound more reassuring compared to a Google search, it gives you a narrow choice of predetermined suggestions, and it is programmed “lead you” into taking the most optimal path. Kojima worries this could prevent humans from experiencing “coincidence” – a kind of freedom that only occurs outside of algorithms.
“That being said, I believe humans need ‘coincidence’ in their lives. You wake up in the morning, you go to school, you go to work, and on your way, you enter a café you stumbled upon by chance. Or you meet someone new by chance.” Kojima explains that these coincidences are what people’s lives are built from – and for them to happen, you can’t let yourself be led into making predetermined, algorithmic decisions.
“I have no intention to say, ‘Stop using the Internet.’ Because it’s really convenient. I also think it is because of the Internet that we were able to survive the Covid pandemic. However, I do believe it may be dangerous to get addicted to it.”
“What’s important about convenient technology is how you’re going to use it. My personal answer to this question is spoken through the mouths of my characters towards the end of Death Stranding 2. Please listen to what they say.” Kojima reminds his audience that opinions vary and invites you to look for your own answer, because you are the one who must choose how to live using technology.
