Hideo Kojima is doing it again. He’s making us look at a giant, floating red ship and a puppet that moves at 30 frames per second while the rest of the world moves at 60 and asking us to just deal with it. But the thing everyone is fixating on right now—the thing that basically serves as the backbone for this entire sequel—is the Magellan and its role as Death Stranding 2 On The Beach introduces us to a new way of connecting a broken world. You’ve probably heard it called the "Pioneer" ship, or seen the DHV (Drawbridge High-speed Vessel) logo plastered all over the promotional material. Honestly, it’s a lot to take in if you haven't been obsessively rewatching the State of Play trailers frame-by-frame.
The "Pioneer" isn't just a vehicle. It's a mobile base of operations for a group called Drawbridge. This isn't the UCA anymore, at least not in the way we remember it. Sam Porter Bridges is older, grittier, and seemingly working for a private entity funded by an anonymous donor. The goal? Connect people outside the UCA’s jurisdiction.
Why the Magellan Changes Everything for Sam
In the first game, you were basically a glorified hiker with a heavy backpack and a dream. You walked. A lot. You climbed mountains and peed on mushrooms to make things grow. But Death Stranding 2 On The Beach moves the scale of the journey from a local trek to a global (or at least continental) expedition. The Magellan is a massive ship that acts as your home away from home.
It's weird. It’s very Kojima.
The ship doesn't just sail on water; it literally emerges from pools of tar. It’s a DHV, and its purpose is to facilitate the "Pioneer" mission of expanding the network into territories that don't want the UCA's help. We see Fragile—played by Léa Seydoux—leading this crew. She’s swapped her umbrella for a high-tech captain’s jacket and a set of mechanical arms that seem to act as her physical presence when she’s busy.
Think about the gameplay implications here. In the first game, your "hub" was a static room in a city. Now, your hub moves. The Magellan follows you, or rather, you move with it. This creates a dynamic where the environment isn't just a path between Point A and Point B, but a shifting landscape where your support system is constantly repositioning.
The Weird Tech of the Pioneer Mission
We have to talk about the cat. Or the puppet. Or the weird floating baby.
🔗 Read more: Blox Fruit Current Stock: What Most People Get Wrong
Actually, let's talk about the puppet. Fatih Akin plays this character, and he’s hooked to Sam’s belt. He’s a "living" doll that provides commentary. It sounds ridiculous. It looks even more ridiculous. But in the context of the Death Stranding 2 On The Beach "Pioneer" initiative, he seems to be a source of lore and mechanical guidance.
Then there’s the ship's interior.
From what we've seen in the TGS 2024 footage, the Magellan’s living quarters are much more interactive than the private rooms of the past. You can change Sam’s outfits, sure. But there’s a sense of "crew" life now. You aren't a lonely porter anymore. You’re part of a mission. The "Pioneer" aspect isn't just about the ship—it’s about the people on it. We see George Miller (yes, the Mad Max director) playing a doctor character. We see Norman Reedus interacting with a crew that feels lived-in.
The ship itself seems to have a "leveling" or "evolution" mechanic. As you connect more regions, the Magellan likely gains new capabilities. Kojima has hinted that the terrain in the sequel will be even more punishing. We're talking floods, wildfires, and earthquakes that happen in real-time. The "Pioneer" ship is your only safety net against a world that is actively trying to erase you.
Beyond the UCA: The True Goal of Drawbridge
What most people get wrong about the "Pioneer" mission is thinking it’s just UCA 2.0. It’s not.
Fragile explicitly mentions that Drawbridge is a private organization. Why? Because the UCA is a political entity, and political entities have "borders" and "regulations." To truly connect the world, Drawbridge believes they need to operate outside those constraints. They are the pioneers of a second wave of connectivity.
💡 You might also like: Why the Yakuza 0 Miracle in Maharaja Quest is the Peak of Sega Storytelling
But there’s a catch. There's always a catch.
Higgs is back. Troy Baker’s character has gone from a masked terrorist to a flamboyant, guitar-wielding, Joker-esque cyborg. He seems to be the primary antagonist to the Death Stranding 2 On The Beach mission. He mocks the idea of connection. He mocks the "Pioneer" spirit.
And then there’s the mystery of Amelie. The trailers show a "chrysalis" and some very unsettling imagery involving the Beach. If the first game was about life and death, the sequel seems to be about what happens when those lines don't just blur—they disappear entirely. The "Pioneer" mission might be venturing into places where the laws of physics and biology simply don't apply anymore.
Real-World Nuance: Why This Matters for Players
Let’s be real for a second. The first Death Stranding was polarizing. People called it a "walking simulator." Kojima leaned into that.
With the "Pioneer" ship and the expanded scope of Death Stranding 2 On The Beach, the "walking" is still there, but the context has shifted. It’s more of an adventure now. It’s a voyage. If the first game was The Postman, the second feels more like Star Trek but with more tar and existential dread.
The game is running on an upgraded version of the Decima Engine (the same tech behind Horizon Forbidden West). The fidelity is staggering. When you see the Magellan rise out of the tar, the fluid simulation is some of the best in the industry. This isn't just for show; it’s meant to emphasize the physical reality of the "Pioneer" journey. Everything has weight. Everything has a cost.
📖 Related: Minecraft Cool and Easy Houses: Why Most Players Build the Wrong Way
What You Should Do to Prepare
If you're planning on jumping into the "Pioneer" mission when the game drops in 2025, you need to understand the stakes. This isn't a game you "beat" by rushing the story.
- Revisit the original's endgame. Pay close attention to the dialogue regarding the "External Beach." It’s highly likely that the Magellan is designed specifically to traverse these non-physical spaces.
- Watch the TGS 2024 "Photo Session" footage. It seems like a joke, but Kojima often hides mechanical hints in these "fluff" presentations. Notice how the characters interact with the environment inside the ship.
- Analyze the Drawbridge logo. The "D" and the "B" are interconnected in a way that looks like a bridge, but also like a knot. The theme of "tying" vs. "connecting" is going to be huge.
- Don't ignore the music. Ludvig Forssell may have moved on, but the new soundscape is integral to the "Pioneer" vibe. The music in the trailers is more industrial, more aggressive.
The journey of the Magellan is a journey into the unknown. We know it’s heading to a setting that looks suspiciously like Mexico or the American Southwest, but with a supernatural twist. The "Pioneer" mission is about more than just delivering packages; it’s about figuring out if humanity even deserves to be reconnected in the first place.
Everything we’ve seen so far suggests that Kojima is doubling down on the "weirdness." The ship, the puppet, the guitar-sword—it's all part of a singular vision. Whether it works for you or not depends on how much you’re willing to buy into the idea of being a pioneer in a world that has already ended once.
The next step for any fan is to keep a close eye on the official Kojima Productions social media channels for the inevitable "Hideo Kojima’s Music Journey" videos, which often contain snippets of the Magellan’s interior that haven't been featured in the main trailers yet. Understanding the "vibe" of the ship will be just as important as understanding its engines once the game finally lands on PS5.
Strategic Takeaway: The "Pioneer" ship, the Magellan, serves as the central hub and primary narrative driver for Death Stranding 2. Players should expect a more mobile, character-driven experience compared to the first game, focusing on a private expeditionary force (Drawbridge) rather than a government entity. Keep an eye on the "tar-submerging" mechanic, as this will likely be the primary way players fast-travel or transition between the game's massive new regions.