What time does Death Stranding 2 release, and can you play early access?

The mysterious waters in Hideo Kojima’s newest work are calling, but you’ll need to wait for the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach release time in your region before you can dive in. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is the direct sequel to Hideo Kojima’s 2019 breakout, and will only be playable on PlayStation […]

Jun 24, 2025 - 00:24

What time does Death Stranding 2 release, and can you play early access?

The mysterious waters in Hideo Kojima’s newest work are calling, but you’ll need to wait for the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach release time in your region before you can dive in.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is the direct sequel to Hideo Kojima’s 2019 breakout, and will only be playable on PlayStation 5. Like many major games these days, you can play it early — if you pick up the game’s premium edition.

To help you prepare for Kojima’s new adventure, we’ve listed the Death Stranding 2 release time by time zone, covering both the early access and the official release of the game

Death Stranding 2 early access release time

A Death Stranding 2 screenshot showing Sam carrying a packet on this back. He is running in a desolated road with lots of abandoned cars.

You can play Death Stranding 2 early by purchasing the digital deluxe edition, which allows you to play up to 48 hours ahead of its full release. Based on a listing on the PlayStation Store website, here’s when early access becomes available in your time zone:

8 p.m. PDT on June 23 for the west coast of North America
11 p.m. EDT on June 23 for the east coast of North America
12 a.m. BRT on June 24 for Brazil
4 a.m. BST on June 24 for the U.K.
5 a.m. CEST on June 24 for western Europe/Paris
12 p.m. JST on June 24 for Japan
1 p.m. AEST on June 24 for the east coast of Australia

Death Stranding 2 release time

Death Stranding 2 is officially out Thursday, June 26. However, depending on where you are located, it might be available before. According to a listing on the PlayStation Store website, here’s when Death Stranding 2 will be playable in your time zone:

8 p.m. PDT on June 25 for the west coast of North America
11 p.m. EDT on June 25 for the east coast of North America
12 a.m. BRT on June 26 for Brazil
4 a.m. BST on June 26 for the U.K.
5 a.m. CEST on June 26 for western Europe/Paris
12 p.m. JST on June 26 for Japan
1 p.m. AEST on June 26 for the east coast of Australia

What to expect from Death Stranding 2

A Death Stranding 2 screenshot showing Sam, Norman Reedu’s character, facing the camera.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is the direct sequel of 2019’s Death Stranding, casting players once again as Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus). While the first game was set in a desolated post-apocalyptic United States, On the Beach depicts regions not previously featured, like Mexico and Australia.

Once again, Sam is going to be the bridge to connect people as you traverse, climb, and run — and maybe get lost — in the challenging landscapes of Death Stranding 2. You will learn more about what happened to other countries and, during this journey, work alongside familiar faces, like Fragile (played by Léa Seydoux) as well as new ones like Tomorrow (Elle Fanning).

Although there are many mysteries in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, we know that people have been enjoying Kojima’s project. Here at Polygon, senior editor Oli Welsh explains this sequel by saying that “ if Death Stranding was ahead of its time then, On the Beach arrives at a perfect moment.” Read Polygon’s Death Stranding 2 impressions for more.