The world of DEATH STRANDING is expanding beyond video games.
Kojima Productions has released the first teaser and new visual for DEATH STRANDING ISOLATIONS, an upcoming 2D animated series set in the world created by Hideo Kojima. The new information was revealed during Kojima Productions' 10th anniversary celebration in Tokyo.
The anime is scheduled to stream on Disney+ and other Disney services in 2027.
A New Story in the World of DEATH STRANDING
Unlike a direct retelling of the games, DEATH STRANDING ISOLATIONS will tell a completely new story.
The series takes place in North America shortly after Sam Porter Bridges reconnects the continent through the Chiral Network. While the world begins rebuilding, those new connections create unexpected consequences.
At the center of the story is a young girl who was forced into isolation following the Death Stranding. Her mother has become a crater, leaving the girl to grow accustomed to living alone and avoiding connections with other people.
The teaser introduces the mysterious girl along with a world filled with strange imagery, danger and unanswered questions.
The official synopsis begins with the haunting line:
“My mom became a crater.”
From there, the story follows the girl's unexpected encounters and her journey into a world she doesn't recognize. Other characters include a young boy consumed by anger, a female soldier caught in a cycle of violence and an older man searching for his own way to connect people.
Tow Ubukata Joins the Anime
One of the biggest new announcements is the addition of acclaimed writer Tow Ubukata, who is handling series composition and screenplay.
Ubukata has worked across novels, video games, manga and anime. His credits include Mardock Scramble, PSYCHO-PASS 2 & 3 and Ghost in the Shell: Arise. He also won the Nihon SF Taisho Award for Mardock Scramble in 2003.
His involvement gives the project another notable connection to science fiction and cyberpunk storytelling.
A Hand-Drawn 2D Anime
DEATH STRANDING ISOLATIONS is being produced as a traditional hand-drawn 2D animated series.
The anime is directed by Takayuki Sano, with animation being handled by E&H production, the studio behind projects including NINJA KAMUI and BULLET/BULLET.
Ilya Kuvshinov, known for his work on Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, is providing the original character designs.
The production team also includes Hideo Kojima as executive producer.
A Different Side of the DEATH STRANDING Universe
One of the most interesting aspects of the project is that it isn't simply adapting Sam Porter Bridges' journey.
Instead, ISOLATIONS is using the existing DEATH STRANDING world as the foundation for an entirely different story.
That gives the anime an opportunity to explore what happened to people living in the aftermath of the Death Stranding while examining one of the franchise's central themes: human connection.
The story's focus on people choosing isolation in a world built around reconnecting humanity also fits naturally into the strange and philosophical world that DEATH STRANDING has become known for.
More DEATH STRANDING Is Coming
DEATH STRANDING ISOLATIONS is also part of a larger expansion of the franchise beyond the games.
A separate animated film project, DEATH STRANDING MOSQUITO, is in development, while a live-action film adaptation is being developed with A24.
For fans, that means the DEATH STRANDING universe is heading into several different forms of entertainment at once.
For now, DEATH STRANDING ISOLATIONS is scheduled for 2027, with Disney+ serving as its streaming home. An exact premiere date and voice cast have not yet been announced.
With a new story, a major science-fiction writer behind the screenplay and hand-drawn animation from E&H production, this could become one of the more unusual video game-to-anime projects to watch in 2027.
