Over 10 million gamers have experienced Kojima Productions’ genre-defying title Death Stranding, according to a statement from the company on the third anniversary of the game’s release.
Upon its release on PS4 in November 2019, Death Stranding garnered a mixed reception from both critics and gamers alike, many of whom were unprepared for the radical departure from Hideo Kojima’s usual stealth espionage fare.
In our review of Death Stranding, we said it “delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight.” We gave the director’s cut of the game in 2021 a 7/10, saying it “is more accessible than the original, but feels like a compromised version of the director’s vision.”
However, the game’s complex lore and narrative – which focused on mass extinction events, the afterlife, loneliness and loss – connected with a wide playerbase in the wake of a pandemic which left many stranded from the ones they loved.
In July 2020, the title was brought to PC via the Steam and Epic Games Store, and it found a new influx of players. Next, in September 2021, the previously mentioned definitive version of the game entitled the Death Stranding Directors Cut launched onto PC, PS4 and PS5, bringing with it new story content, game modes, equipment and more besides.
Finally, in a surprise move in August earlier this year, the base Death Stranding game made its way to the Xbox PC Game Pass service.
The new 10 million figure takes into account units that have been sold across all platforms, and also includes gamers who accessed the title via Playstation Plus and the PC Game Pass services – a significant step up in engagement from the 5 million copies reported sold in July 2021.
It makes me happy to think that there are over 10 million “Sam one”(players) around the world, all loosely connected 🙏😍👍🫶. pic.twitter.com/ex0zjl3gYn
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) November 8, 2022
Elsewhere in Kojima news, he recently revealed in his Spotify podcast Brain Structure that he regularly turns down generous offers to purchase Kojima Productions.
During the same interview he also refuted reports that a Death Stranding sequel had been pitched as a Stadia exclusive project. However, earlier this year Norman Reedus – who voiced and motion captured protagonist Sam Porter Bridges in Death Stranding – seemed to let slip that a sequel is indeed on the way.
Hideo Kojima is also working on a project with Xbox that will use Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure and a separate unannounced horror game that allegedly stars Margaret Qualley and appears to have recently leaked online.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
