Solid Snake is back in Death Stranding 2 but not as you remember him
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach has a new trailer featuring a legally distinct Solid Snake and confirmation of the game's release date.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach has a new trailer featuring a legally distinct Solid Snake and confirmation of the game’s release date.
Aside from Ghost Of Yōtei, the only other major PlayStation 5 exclusive confirmed for this year is Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.
We’ve seen several predictably perplexing trailers for the sequel already, but a new one arrived during a panel at SXSW on Sunday, which confirmed the game will be released on June 26, 2025.
The lengthy 10-minute trailer features sweeping vistas, bizarre creatures and a stronger emphasis on gunplay, but one new character has captured everyone’s attention because he looks identical to Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid.
If you’re unaware, Kojima is known for creating the Metal Gear franchise for Konami, but he departed the company in not-so amicable fashion in 2015. His studio, Kojima Productions, went independent and partnered with Sony to work on 2019’s Death Stranding.
Despite being Kojima’s baby, the Metal Gear IP is still owned by Konami, with a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater set to be released in August. Kojima clearly hasn’t moved on entirely though, as he’s already known to be working on a spiritual sequel of sorts for PlayStation 5.
Before that, he’s added a new character called Neil into Death Stranding 2, who, towards the end of the trailer, rocks a bandana and has a very clear resemblance to Snake from the Metal Gear franchise.
Legally distinct Snake may not be so good (Sony Interactive Entertainment)While you might think any gruff man with brown hair and a headband could resemble Snake in some capacity, this nod is clearly intentional due to the choice of actor, Luca Marinelli. Back in July 2020 on Instagram, Kojima named the Italian actor as someone who would be the ‘spitting image of Solid Snake’ if ‘he donned a bandana’.
In another interesting twist, it appears as if Neil is some sort of antagonist in Death Stranding 2, who represents a ‘distinctly American philosophy’ – at least, based on the voiceover. Solid Snake’s design was largely modelled after American action movie heroes so it all lines up.
There appears to be other Metal Gear nods in the trailer too, with a giant mech that looks very similar to REX from the original Metal Gear Solid.
‘I love how unapologetic Kojima is for including Solid Snake even without having the rights at all, absolute legend,’ reads one comment on YouTube.
‘They can’t copyright a guy wearing a bandana,’ added another.
As for the rest of the cast, Norman Reedus is back as Sam Bridges, alongside Léa Seydoux and Troy Baker as Fragile and Higgs, respectively. New additions include Elle Fanning, Shioli Kutsuna, and the likeness of Mad Max director George Miller.
Beyond the game itself, Kojima announced a worldwide concert tour to celebrate the music of Death Stranding. This orchestral tour starts on November 8, 2025 at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, before it hits London on November 16 at the Eventim Apollo, and other major cities.
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