Sony showcases 'Death Stranding 2' Dolby Atmos soundtrack in Beijing

Sony Music Entertainment China demonstrated how Dolby Atmos spatial audio technology was used for Kojima Productions' "Death Stranding 2: On the Beach" at a Beijing showcase on Monday.

A Dolby Atmos music studio demonstrates the immersive soundtrack experience for "Death Stranding 2: On the Beach" in Beijing, July 21, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment China]

The event, held with Dolby Laboratories and Sony Interactive Entertainment Shanghai at UpChord in Wanda Technology & Culture Park, featured multiple audio zones where attendees could hear how the game's music was integrated with Dolby Atmos, a system that creates three-dimensional sound by positioning audio objects in space around listeners.

"Death Stranding 2," which launched June 26 for PlayStation 5, again follows courier Sam Porter as he crosses a post-apocalyptic America with new companions and new threats. Game designer Hideo Kojima wrote and directed the sequel, which was developed by Kojima Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Early previews have drawn generally favorable reactions.

French artist Woodkid, who contributed to the "Death Stranding 2" soundtrack, shared insights about the technical challenges of creating adaptive game music during a video call with attendees.

"I really built from scratch," Woodkid said. "I had the script with characters and storyline, so I had to build from that. That's very inspiring for me. The big difference is that the music is procedural — made to evolve based on character actions, which is not something that I do on the classic records. Like you make one song that's 3 minutes, but then you have kind of developed it into a one-hour song somehow with different layers."

The musician said this technical challenge reflected his broader creative approach. "You can make big things without being completely bound by the rulebook, always approaching things with rebellious creativity. You should always try to make things that don't sound like anything you've heard before," he said.

The artist praised Kojima's creative approach to breaking conventional boundaries. "Having role models like Hideo Kojima — who creates things that are different, bizarre, dark and non-commercial yet still find an audience and success — that's very reassuring when you're an artist."

Woodkid said his compositions for the game explore themes of human connection. Referring to the track "Any Love of Any Kind," he said the song reflects humanity's universal desire for love — regardless of type, gender, age or form.

"It's about embracing love as family, as brothers, as lovers, as all this. Any type of love is very valuable. I think it's just something that really is about connection somehow," he said.

Reporters and influencers interact with French musician Woodkid via video link at a launch event for the "Death Stranding 2: On the Beach" soundtrack in Beijing, July 21, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment China]

The launch event included three audio zones: a main hall with stereo sound for presentations and two halls equipped with Dolby Atmos technology. One Atmos hall showed a 15-minute segment of the game's opening featuring the track "Minus Sixty One," while the other allowed attendees to play the game.

"Working on an original song for 'Death Stranding 2' was a really profound experience," said singer Caroline Polachek, who performed the title song "On the Beach."

In a recorded video message, Polachek said the project resonated with her because of "all the huge contradictions and contrasts between connection and isolation, between extinction and hope. I wanted to make a piece of music that held these contrasts within it." She said she spent considerable time with the game's opening sequence and was moved by the experience. 

"Music for a game like this is so profound. Because this is the music that you're experiencing while you're asking yourself some very, very big questions that make us ask about our own humanity and also about society."

The "Death Stranding 2: On the Beach" soundtrack consists of two albums: Swedish composer Ludvig Forssell's original score, released June 27, and Woodkid's collection of original songs, released June 13. Polachek's song was released separately as a single on June 13. The music is available on streaming platforms and in the game.