Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding Franchise Expands with Animated Series 'Isolations' Set for Disney+ in 2027

The critically acclaimed video game franchise, Death Stranding, conceived by visionary game designer Hideo Kojima, is slated for a major expansion into the world of animation. A new animated series is confirmed to debut on the Disney+ streaming platform in 2027. This move follows the tremendous success of the core games; the original title, launched in 2019, captivated a global audience of over 20 million players. Furthermore, the highly anticipated sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, recently arrived exclusively on the PlayStation 5 console on June 26, 2025.

The official unveiling of the project, currently operating under the working title Death Stranding: Isolations, took place at the high-profile Disney+ Originals Preview event held at Hong Kong Disneyland. The creative leadership ensures high quality: Hideo Kojima himself will serve as Executive Producer, while Takeyuki Sano has been tapped to direct the series. In a conscious effort to establish a distinct visual identity, the production team has opted for a traditional two-dimensional (2D) hand-drawn animation style. Production duties fall to the Japanese powerhouse E&H Production. This studio, founded in March 2021 by former MAPPA director Sunghoo Park—renowned for his work on Ninja Kamui—brings significant pedigree. Adding to the visual flair, concept art for the series was developed by Ilya Kuvshinov, previously associated with Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.

Intriguingly, the storyline for Isolations is designed to be a wholly original narrative, deliberately avoiding direct entanglement with the events depicted in the video games. Instead, it will delve deeper into the foundational themes of the franchise: connection and profound isolation. The core of the narrative centers on a pair of fresh protagonists—a young man and a young woman—as they embark on a perilous journey across a devastated North America. The synopsis hints at a complex ensemble of isolated figures whose paths are destined to cross. This group includes an elderly man who actively seeks salvation outside the framework of connection championed by Sam Bridges, a fierce warrior woman driven by an insatiable need for conflict, and a young boy harboring deep resentment toward Bridges. Their disparate destinies are set to converge dramatically at the precipice of humanity’s end.

This significant transmedia undertaking is a cornerstone of Kojima Productions' aggressive strategy to cultivate and expand the Death Stranding intellectual property (IP). This strategic flexibility was made possible after the studio successfully acquired the full rights to the IP from publisher 505 Games in late 2024, granting them complete control over the franchise's direction across various platforms. The animated series is far from the only project in the pipeline. Development is also underway for the animated feature film, Death Stranding: Mosquito, which boasts a screenplay penned by Aaron Guzikowski and direction by Hiroshi Miyamoto. Furthermore, the studio continues to work on future video game installments, and a highly anticipated live-action film adaptation is also officially announced, being produced in partnership with the acclaimed studio A24.