Death Stranding 2 will release for PS5 on 26th June 2025, except it actually doesn’t — if you wait until the official launch date, you’ll already be two days late. Publishers are increasingly offering “early access” to titles in the pricier versions of their games, and now Sony has joined the trend with the latest Kojima Productions effort.
If you buy the $230 physical Collector’s Edition or $80 Digital Deluxe Edition, you can begin playing the PS5 exclusive 48 hours early, from 24th June. However, are you actually paying to play the game early? The growing backlash towards the incentive argues no, you’re not.
Unlike games such as Hades 2 or No Rest for the Wicked, which use the Early Access term in the correct way (they’re both still very much in development and you’re gaining access to them up to a year in advance of the full release), the phrase in relation to Death Stranding 2 and Forza Horizon 5 (another upcoming game offering “early access”) feels a little manipulative.
When the “early access” version of Death Stranding 2 arrives on 24th June, that is the final product. It is the version that Kojima Productions intends for everyone to play, even if they’ve pre-ordered an edition that’s out two days later. You are not really paying to play early at all because that’s the actual release date. If anything, it’s the other way around: those who want to pay the usual $70 are losing out and are being delayed by two days instead.
This is a questionable enough tactic from publishers on its own, as it offers a temporary bonus designed to make you spend more money over the standard version. However, as PS5 owners are pointing out, this particular example is even more egregious since Death Stranding 2 is such a story-heavy game. It’ll be possible for plot spoilers to hit the Internet via a publicly accessible version of the experience that’s judged to be fair game by Sony, and not an unintended leak.
In the short term, at least, this tactic of selling a more expensive version under the guise of “early access” is not going away. A browse of the pre-order section in the PS Store reveals Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, Atomfall, Forza Horizon 5, The First Berserker: Khazan, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and Hell Is Us all offer forms of early access if you purchase the more expansion version.
The argument is: you’re not paying to play early; you’re paying to avoid starting late.
