Death Stranding 2 Nears Completion: Hideo Kojima Announces Sound Mixing Finished Just 3 Months Before Launch

Hideo Kojima has announced an exciting update regarding Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The sound mixing process at Kojima Productions has reached completion, prompting a celebration complete with champagne, led by Kojima himself.

Kojima shared on Twitter: “Finished sound mixing with Molinare in London. A total of about three years, including ADR. Thank you very much. A light toast with our sound team and the folks at Molinare.” One can only imagine the sizeable budget dedicated to champagne at Kojima Productions.

ADR refers to automated dialogue replacement, a technique that allows for the replacement of dialogue recorded during filming with clearer audio recorded in a studio, thus minimizing background noise.

It’s refreshing to see Kojima provide regular updates throughout the development cycle. His focus primarily on the editing and voice acting elements offers a captivating glimpse into the game’s production. It’s impressive to realize that sound recording and mixing can stretch over three years for a single title.

Kojima has quickly progressed through this stage, having finalized the lines for the Japanese dub only a few days prior, on March 25. With the game set to release on June 26, it’s a little nerve-wracking considering how close we are to launch. It’s quite astonishing how tight the deadlines can be for game developers as they finalize and refine their projects.

This means the wait won’t be too long before we get to experience the outrageous moments featuring Troy Baker’s Higgs, which Kojima has teased are “so ridiculous” that we might “probably throw the controller.” Given the absurdity of the first Death Stranding, I’m eager to see the elevated experience this sequel promises.

As we anticipate the release, take a glance at all the upcoming new games of 2025 that are on the horizon. Which title do you plan to dive into before Death Stranding 2 drops?