When talking about the original Death Stranding, Kojima said, "The game was about connection," which we knew. However, Kojima wasn’t the most confident about his future, adding,

On the Beach's latest trailer revealed a bevy of new information, including one particular casting that's caused quite a stir thanks to the character's distinctly Solid Snake-esque vibes. As it turns out,

Kojima explains that during the pandemic, when he was casting for Death Stranding 2, Neil would be an important character that replaces Cliff from the first Death Stranding, and how the fans "would not be satisfied" unless the casting would surpass Mads Mikkelsen (who played Cliff in the first game).