Kojima Productions has released the first trailer for Death Stranding Isolations, an original anime series that arrives exclusively on Disney+ in 2027. In a post on X dated October 30, 2026, the studio also named the director, screenwriter and animation house, but it hasn’t given a release date.
The teaser is short on plot. IGN reports that it follows a blonde-haired girl who wakes from dreams of being swallowed by the tar, and the post carries the line “My mom became a crater.” Inven Global adds that the footage intercuts black handprints on glass, hands surging from the ground and an unidentified figure approaching the girl, which brings the game’s BTs into 2D animation.
A new cast, not Sam’s story
The studio describes the series as an original story driven by its “own unique ensemble of characters”. IGN reads that as a sign Sam Porter Bridges and Fragile won’t be major players. Dark Horizons says the synopsis places the story somewhere in North America while Sam makes his trek, with other people coping with isolation in their own ways. The anime shares the games’ universe but isn’t an adaptation of either one.
The staff list leans on recognisable anime names. Takayuki Sano directs. According to IGN, he’s a veteran key animator and creature designer who served as animation director on Attack on Titan‘s final season and worked on Jujutsu Kaisen and Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Tow Ubukata handles series composition and screenplay, and IGN notes his credits include Psycho-Pass 3, Psycho-Pass: Providence and Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie. E&H Production animates, and IGN lists Undead Unluck: Winter Arc, Ninja Kamui and the 2026 Magic Knight Rayearth reboot among its work.
Disney+ was attached before any of this footage existed. Kojima Productions announced the partnership at the Disney+ Originals Preview at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, calling it the studio’s first with a global streaming platform. Hideo Kojima is executive producer, and the same announcement credited Ilya Kuvshinov, character designer on Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, with the concept art.
The series joins a growing list of game-to-anime projects on streaming. Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 has already premiered, and Disney+ is also building a 2027 slate that includes Ahsoka Season 2 in January.
IGN reports that Kojima also revealed a new poster for OD Knock, his horror game with director Jordan Peele. It shows Sophia Lillis looking up at a long red object above her.
When does Death Stranding Isolations release?
Kojima Productions says only that it streams exclusively on Disney+ in 2027. An exact date and further details haven’t been announced.
Do I need to have played Death Stranding to follow the anime?
Kojima Productions describes it as an original story with its own ensemble, set in the same world as the games. That suggests it’s built to stand alone, though the studio hasn’t spelled out how closely it ties to the games’ events.
Will Sam Porter Bridges appear in the series?
Nothing in the trailer or announcement confirms it. IGN reads the “own unique ensemble” wording as a sign the games’ leads won’t be central, and Dark Horizons says Sam’s journey forms the backdrop.
