In a surprise announcement, Kojima Productions has revealed that Death Stranding is now available on Xbox Series X|S. The first game produced by Hideo Kojima and his studio after he left Konami, Death Stranding was released five years ago on PS4 and would be followed by PC and iOS ports in 202 and 2023, respectively. As a launch special, publisher 505 Games is offering Death Stranding at a 50% discount on Xbox.
This is the director’s cut edition, which added enhanced graphical options, gameplay changes, and new content on top of the original game. Set in a world where humanity had barely survived an extinction-level event, Death Stranding follows Sam Porter Bridges on a post-apocalyptic trek as he explores the USA and works to reconnect its various cities.
The game also featured a star-studded cast, with many of the characters not only being voiced by famous faces but also adopting their likenesses for Death Stranding. Bridges was played by Norman Reedus, and other roles were filled by Lea Seydoux, Mads Mikkelsen, Troy Baker, Guillermo del Toro, and more.
“In the face of all of Death Stranding’s violence, its dead things, its surreal horror, and the bleakest, salted-earth portrayal of the post-apocalypse, there has always been this strong mote of hope and love and bonding and connection that’s never been more necessary,” Justin Clark wrote in GameSpot’s Death Stranding: Director’s Cut review. “If nothing else, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is the best excuse to return to the valley of the shadow of death, and find the grim beauty waiting there. What the new features and content bring to the table is simply making that return easier and more welcoming than ever.”
A sequel was officially revealed in 2022 after months of teases, and while Death Stranding 2: On the Beach doesn’t have an exact release date yet, it does look like it’ll be a wild follow-up to the original. Film and television company A24 also announced last year that it’ll be working with Kojima Productions to produce a live-action adaptation of Death Stranding, and Kojima is hoping it’ll pick up a few prestigious awards on the film circuit.
On top of that Death Stranding work, Kojima has also teamed up with Get Out director Jordan Peele on OD for Xbox Game Studios and he’s also developing on a Metal Gear-like game under the working title of Physint.
