Death Stranding 2 collector's edition advanced access may not work out for some players due to slow shipping

Advanced access for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach begins tonight, depending on your time zone, but some Collector's Edition buyers have run into some bad luck with shipping. The Death Stranding 2 Collector’s Edition promises 48 hours of advanced access before the game releases to the public on June 26th. This is no problem for anyone who purchased a digital version, but for some concerned fans on Reddit, paying extra may not grant them the benefits they were promised.

Death Stranding 2 physical Collector’s Edition may not arrive in time for advanced access

Kojima Productions, the studio led by renowned developer Hideo Kojima, has achieved critical success with its sequel to the original Death Stranding. This unique action-adventure game has earned a 90/100 on Metacritic, placing it among the top games of the year so far. With such glowing reviews across the board, it’s not surprising that fans are excited to start playing.

Aside from the promise of advanced access, the Collector’s Edition also includes a small figurine of the odd Dollman character, a handful of in-game items, and a letter from Hideo Kojima, among other items. So, at least those who are still waiting for their product to ship aren’t missing out on the only thing that was promised. Though that hasn’t stopped some fans on Reddit from proclaiming that the $200 they spent will mean they actually play the game later than everyone else.

These days, the promise of advanced access is not a guarantee, nor does it guarantee a quality experience. More and more often, players who buy into advanced access for major game releases feel like “glorified beta testers” more than anything else. This March’s WWE 2K25 was a perfect example. A post on the Death Stranding subreddit a few months ago warned players about purchasing the Collector’s Edition because they didn’t want to encourage a Collector’s Edition without a physical disc, which is an option. In the comments, many players agree with the sentiment but also admit that they will still buy the edition anyway.

The irony of this situation is pointed out by one Reddit comment: “I’m picking mine up on Tuesday, I don’t trust day 1 deliveries here in Australia which is ironic because the game is about making deliveries in Australia.” Thankfully, this problem does not seem to be affecting all players, as other posts on the Death Stranding subreddits share images of physical editions and screenshots of players downloading the digital version to their console.

Ultimately, this is another reason to be wary of the promise of advanced access. In the future, if you are considering purchasing an advanced access period, be prepared for the possibility that it doesn’t live up to its promise. A physical edition may not arrive on time, and in its early state, a game may require some updates before it runs smoothly.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

June 26, 2025

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• Hideo Kojima
• Collector's and special editions (games)
• Kojima Productions
• Death Stranding (brand)