5 Minutes
What’s been announced
Kojima Productions is expanding the Death Stranding universe with a brand-new animated series for Disney’s animation platform. Titled Death Stranding: Isolations, the project is slated for release in 2027 and promises a fresh, fully hand-drawn 2D aesthetic that deliberately moves away from photorealism toward classic animation craft. Rather than retelling the game’s story, Isolations will follow an original narrative centered on two young protagonists — a young man and a young woman — whose names have not yet been revealed.
Plot hints and tone
The official synopsis places the series in North America during the era when Sam Bridges is still attempting to reconnect the country. While Sam remains a looming presence in the background of this world, Death Stranding: Isolations will explore other lives fractured by isolation: an older man seeking redemption by different means, a warrior woman pushing for an endless cycle of conflict, a young man holding a grudge against Bridges, and a girl who embraces solitude. Their converging paths hint at high-stakes drama, existential themes and the melancholic atmosphere fans expect from Hideo Kojima’s creations, now filtered through a distinctly animated sensibility.
Creative team and animation style
Hideo Kojima serves as executive producer on the series, while direction is in the hands of Takayuki Sano, a director with credits on the final season of Attack on Titan, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, and MAPPA’s Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Character design will be handled by Ilya Kuvshinov, known for his work on Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045. The decision to produce Death Stranding: Isolations as hand-drawn 2D animation is a notable creative choice — it suggests Kojima and Disney are aiming for emotional texture and stylistic clarity rather than cinematic photorealism.
Where this fits in the growing Death Stranding screen universe
This new series is just one branch of a growing transmedia strategy. Kojima Productions previously confirmed Death Stranding: Mosquito, an anime written by Aaron Guzikowski and directed by Hiroshi Miyamoto with animation by ABC Animation, and a live-action adaptation in development at A24, to be directed by Michael Sarnoski. Together, these projects mark an ambitious expansion of a game that was already cinematic in scope, reflecting an industry trend where successful video games are being reimagined as television series and films with creative teams who respect the source material’s tone.
Comparisons and context
Compared to other game-to-anime adaptations like Castlevania or Cyberpunk: Edgerunners — which relied on strong standalone storytelling and distinct visual identities — Death Stranding: Isolations appears to double down on atmosphere and thematic depth. Sano’s background with darker, emotionally intense anime suggests a series that will sit closer to Attack on Titan’s dramatic weight than to broader, franchise-friendly animation. For Disney, this move also fits a broader strategy to diversify its adult animation slate and to compete with streaming peers who have had success with mature, auteur-driven animated shows.
Trivia and fan reaction
Fans have already been dissecting early concept images and the choice of 2D hand-drawn art, seeing it as a sign that Kojima wants to foreground emotion and symbolism. Industry watchers also note that Ilya Kuvshinov’s involvement signals sleek, contemporary character designs that could appeal to both anime fans and a Western streaming audience.
"Kojima’s shift into hand-drawn 2D for Isolations is a smart creative recalibration," says film scholar Elena Marlowe. "It lets the series emphasize mood and metaphor in ways photorealism often cannot. This could be one of the most visually adventurous game adaptations in recent years."
Whether you’re a fan of the original game or simply curious about high-concept animation on Disney’s platforms, Death Stranding: Isolations is shaping up to be a project worth watching — one that blends auteur ambitions with the serialized potential of streaming.
Comments
mechbyte
wow didn't expect Kojima to go full hand drawn. This actually excites me, feels poetic and kinda eerie, hope they keep the melancholy not just the look
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