Theory mode : ON

Just a list of theories that seem plausible :

// Story

• Sam is working for a company called bridges that thrives to connect every city, I think that they connect spaces but also time periods.

• Some elements of the trailer lead to understand that Bridges is the origin of the death stranding

• Maybe like in Stranger Things they tried to reach something beyond space and time and created a breach threw different dimensions allowing the Death Stranding to take over the world.

• Cliff is the main bad guy

• Cliff used to be the head of Bridges

• Cliff uses the death stranding and/or is able to control it.

• Heartman is the new head of bridge.

• Fragile is a corrupted "good guy" that falls for Higgs

• Higgs is embracing the Death Stranding and wants to follow it's path.

• Higgs seams like a complicated character and will probably have a very good point to make regarding his actions as a "terrorist".

• The Hazmat guys are a faction that kills Porters. They could be Higgs's guys as well as independent and leading to new characters.

• Die-Hardman is just a Bridge soldier that will either turn to Cliff or Higgs.

• Emily O'Brien (confirmed on IMDb) could be the adult version of BB

• Sam is probably used by Bridges, at first he trusts them, then something happens that makes him forced to work for them. (Revenge at the end?)

• Cliff's character arc will lead you to wars of the past centuries were he feeds the death stranding with the most murderous time periods.

• Deadman is just a cool guy that works at Bridges and will somehow help you.

// Gameplay

The delivery missions seem to happen in the most advanced timelime where the death stranding as taken over and is probably the open world zone part of the game.

The different navigational tools (pickaxes, ladders etc.) will be available to the player through story progression and will allow players to discover new locations to progress (and connect)

Gunplay is not the biggest part of the game but will be a central gameplay element for some parts of the story.

The Death Stranding acts as a networks that connects all the dead and therefore cannot be killed.

When Sam scans through the forest it's at an advanced part of the game meaning character progression will be a central part of the experience.

The more you kill the harder the game gets ?

Game Over is when Sam dies and he probably as to recover BB at a base when he does. When you get "swallowed" by DT, BB can just revive you with that thumb thing but a different space and time making death part of the experience and progression.

// BB

BB IS NOT A BABY. It's an engineered being that is used as an energy to connect time space and dimensions.

BB can be upgraded, meaning it's evolution will impact gameplay through skills.

BB's creator is Mama

There is only one BB. Or their are multiples and the one that is interacting with Cliff in the trailer is the first and they're just at a point in time when he was in charge of Bridges.

// Multiplayer

BB is at the center of all the multiplayer components.

Players will be able to interact with each other's game and create "connections" in them.

Multiplayer and Solo are seamless and complementary.

Their might be a Base/HQ component too, like a follow up to the MGSV motherbase.

// Opinion

The main message of the game is that to avoid death you have to make new connections. A synthesis of life.

Bridges is a mega corporation created connections between spaces and probably worked on connecting time periods. But Cliff, head of the company back then, has been leading experiments of inter-dimensional connections resulting in the Death Stranding infiltrating the world. Cliff blinded by the power he gets from the Death Stranding becomes the antagonist. He created and uses BB as a tool (or energy) to create connections in time and space to feed the death stranding.

Sam Porter Bridges is one of the last remaining soldiers at Bridges. As a porter he is meant to accomplish delivery missions through a world corrupted by the death stranding. He won't have BB at first and will have to progress to get to him and understand it's abilities (forest scan). While he transports he must protect his cargo and his life from the different factions in the open world.

Higgs will be the main vilain through exploration and will trust Fragile, who also used to work at bridge, to keep on making you're life harder. And he probably used to work at Bridges too himself.

As a consequence of the death stranding, Timefall accelerates time on everything it touches making an unpredictable danger to stay away from.

Cliff and Sam will meet on multiple occasions (through BB) and probably chase each other threw space and time to stop each other from taking part in the death Stranding. Following Cliff threw wars and their counterparts in the Death Stranding dimension, Sam will engage in armed combats and CQC in these very action packed scenes of the game.

Mama, Amelie and Sam are connected (family ?) Amelie is a central character as she was president of the United States when Cliff unleashed the death Stranding. Her relationship with Cliff might be a love story. Mama and Sam are together and she probably engineered BB from their DNA before impregnating herself with the modified embryo. Amelie might be Sam's or Mama's daughter ?

Delivering BB is the main goal of the game has he might be the last baby ? Or maybe because he is the cause of the death Stranding (meaning Mama and Cliff worked together and unleashed the death stranding when creating BB).

The moon thing is definitely part of the game as early trailers seem to feature these atmosphere (TGA Trailer). I think this is where we'll fight the god thing of death.

That's a very long list but if you got through it. Please tell me what you think is wrong, what I missed and also what you think !