Death Stranding Expands: Disney+ Anime 'Isolations' Revealed

In a landmark move for the gaming industry, legendary creator Hideo Kojima has officially announced that his acclaimed Death Stranding universe is expanding into mainstream entertainment. During the Disney+ Originals Preview event in Hong Kong, Hideo unveiled Death Stranding Isolations (tentative title), an all-new animated series scheduled to premiere exclusively on Disney+ in 2027. 

This announcement marks Kojima Productions’ first-ever partnership with a global streaming platform, signaling a massive vote of confidence in the franchise’s ability to captivate audiences far beyond the gaming community.

Production Team for the Death Stranding Anime

For the success of this ambitious project, Kojima Productions has teamed up with E&H Production, a Japanese animation studio founded in March 2021 by Sunghoo Park, who is also the celebrated director behind the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen. The series will be executive-produced by Hideo Kojima himself, ensuring the adaptation remains true to his vision. 

Directorial duties fall to Takayuki Sano, a veteran industry talent known for his contributions to major hits like Ninja Kamui, Dragon Ball, Attack on Titan, and Hunter x Hunter. 

In a deliberate move to capture the atmospheric "soul" and emotional depth of the game’s world, the team has opted for traditional, hand-drawn 2D animation rather than 3D CGI. This unique visual identity will be spearheaded by character designer Ilya Kuvshinov, previously acclaimed for his work on Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.

An Original Narrative of Survival

Unlike a direct retelling of the 2019 video game, Death Stranding Isolations offers a completely original narrative set within the same fractured, post-apocalyptic landscape. The story shifts its focus away from Sam Porter Bridges' mission to reconnect America, instead zooming in on "nameless individuals" struggling to survive elsewhere on the continent. 

The plot follows a young man and woman navigating a world where "lonesome souls of the dead manifest in the physical world," causing massive explosions that have wiped out civilization. 

Viewers will meet a diverse cast grappling with isolation in their own ways, including an old man seeking salvation outside the network, a female warrior attempting to kickstart a world of conflict, and a boy holding a deep grudge against Bridges.

This series is just one pillar of a massive multimedia expansion for the IP, which has already engaged over 20 million players worldwide since its 2019 debut. The franchise recently gained fresh momentum with the release of the sequel, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, which launched exclusively for PlayStation 5 on June 26, 2025. 

By exploring parallel narratives—just as Sam walks across the continent to save it, these isolated souls face the end of the world in their own unique ways—the anime aims to deepen the lore for both long-time fans and newcomers.

A Massive Multimedia Expansion

Beyond the Disney+ series and the recent game sequel, Kojima Productions is aggressively broadening its storytelling horizons. A live-action feature film adaptation is currently in development with the prestigious studio A24, with Hammerstone Studios joining as co-financiers and producers to explore the game's metaphysical themes on the big screen. 

Additionally, the universe will expand further with Death Stranding: Mosquito, another animated movie project recently teased by ABC Animation Studio. With this diverse slate of projects across games, streaming series, and cinema, Death Stranding is firmly establishing itself as a premier global franchise.