GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

Death Stranding Sells 5 Million Copies, PS5 Director's Cut Will Expand The Social Strand System

The game has performed "quite well" on PS4 and PC.

36 Comments

Death Stranding, from Hideo Kojima and his team at Kojima Productions, has sold 5 million copies across PlayStation 4 and PC as of March 2021. Publishing boss Jay Boor shared the statistic with GI.biz, saying the game is doing "quite well" in the market.

Part of the appeal of Death Stranding, Boor said, is its "social strand system" which allows players to connect with others and have a more social experience in a single-player game. Boor said Kojima once said he is prone to loneliness, and Boor believes that some in the gaming community can relate.

"When they're alone playing video games in their living room, they don't feel like they fit into society or their community. So when people play this game they realize people like them exist all over the world. Knowing that even though I'm lonely, there are other people like me--and that makes you feel at ease. That's what I want people to feel when they play this game," he said.

The upcoming director's cut of Death Stranding, which launches in September, will "expand" on the social strand system, and Boor said more details will come later. The director's cut also includes visual and performance updates based on the PS5 architecture, while there are new missions, storylines, weapons, vehicles, and equipment, along with a racing mode that has leaderboards.

Kojima's next game might come to Xbox thanks to a deal with Microsoft, but this is not confirmed.

For more, check out GameSpot's rundown of everything in the Death Stranding Director's Cut and what additional Director's Cuts we want to see from Sony in the future.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Join the conversation
There are 36 comments about this story
36 Comments  RefreshSorted By 
GameSpot has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to toxic conduct in comments. Any abusive, racist, sexist, threatening, bullying, vulgar, and otherwise objectionable behavior will result in moderation and/or account termination. Please keep your discussion civil.

Avatar image for gr4h4m833zy
Gr4h4m833zy

830

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

No wonder kojima said westerners should just stick to call of duty.

"When they're alone playing video games in their living room, they don't feel like they fit into society or their community. So when people play this game they realize people like them exist all over the world. Knowing that even though I'm lonely, there are other people like me--and that makes you feel at ease. That's what I want people to feel when they play this game."

Hm..........i guess they don't have fortnite or call of duty or whatever kojima thinks westerners play in japan. Or any other online game for that matter.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for deactivated-64a3ced8b46b8
deactivated-64a3ced8b46b8

5977

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 10

So excited to play through this again! 😺

2 • 
Avatar image for robbie23
Robbie23

2122

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Robbie23

I really enjoyed it on ps4 and will be upgrading to PS5.

2 • 
Avatar image for Jendeh
Jendeh

804

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@robbie23: Me too. I got it as a gift and am glad I did as I might not have ever shown any interest in it. For me it was a great experience and I loved the ability to simply improve the world.

3 • 
Avatar image for johnny0779
johnny0779

2257

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

The game took over two years to sell just about 5 million copies across PC and PS4?

That's quite disappointing, first of all there are over 112 million PS4 users and there are over 2 billion PC gamers.....and by last year the game was practically $14.00 across all those platforms and that's all it sold?

For comparison 5 million copies is what God of War sold just on PS4 alone on its first year.....

No wonder they are trying again with a director's cut for better luck....

2 • 
Avatar image for CyrusDrake20
CyrusDrake20

241

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

@johnny0779: Dude's trollin... Comparing God of War to Death Stranding... GoW will always sell like hot cakes as it's a defined series. Death Stranding is a new IP and will take time to find it's playerbase. 5 million is really good for a game that still many people have no clue wtf it's about or the appeal. Hell, DS took me hours and in to even find the appeal because you start to see the point finally in building all the networks and improving the world. A lot of people give up before this point or don't even bother trying. GoW is almost instant appeal getting to smash in faces of enemies with crazy combat. Two totally different games you shouldn't even bunch together at all.

2 • 
Avatar image for johnny0779
johnny0779

2257

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

Edited By johnny0779

@CyrusDrake20: The new IP excuse doesn't get you anywhere...when a game is like it will sell by the tons...look at Fortnite, Hades, Destiny, Among Us...they are all new IPs...so what's is your excuse?

Upvote • 
Avatar image for CyrusDrake20
CyrusDrake20

241

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

Edited By CyrusDrake20
@johnny0779 said:

@CyrusDrake20: The new IP excuse doesn't get you anywhere...when a game is like it will sell by the tons...look at Fortnite, Hades, Destiny, Among Us...they are all new IPs...so what's is your excuse?

You just categorized completely different gaming genres into one as if it holds any value. BattleRoyale, rogue-like, fps, survival-horror. All of these are very well defined in their genres. Now tell me, what is Death Stranding's genre? I got the plat trophy on it and I still can't really tell you. I can't even sit here and properly market the game without saying it "gets good". That's not enough for a lot of people. Most of the games you listed though? They're easily identifiable, even as new IPs, thus, easy to market.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

@johnny0779: Those sales are fantastic. It took 6 years just for both versions of Snake Eater to reach 4 million units. That was March 2010. But sure… compare it to PS4’s best game by a mile (GOW). You also need to consider that Death Stranding isn’t a sequel but an original IP. It all indicates massive success.

7 • 
Avatar image for johnny0779
johnny0779

2257

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

@bloodbornelore: The new IP excuse doesn't get you anywhere...when a game is like it will sell by the tons...look at Fortnite, Hades, Destiny, Among Us...they are all new IPs...so what's is your excuse??

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

@johnny0779: No excuse needed when 5 million in sales is a good thing. What’s there to misunderstand about that?

Upvote • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

Edited By xNSHD

@bloodbornelore: not really fantastic dude. it is a new IP but it was marketed to death and had kojima's name all over it which for some reason people cream their jeans over and yet it has still only now managed to sell 5 million units.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

@xnshd: “not really fantastic dude.”

~ Really? Mind explaining that one to me?

“it is a new IP but it was marketed to death and had kojima's name all over it which for some reason people cream their jeans over.”

~ Right. Which is how it became one of his most successful titles. Makes perfect sense.

Then you go on to say “still only now managed to sell 5 million units.” Which means neither of you can explain how those sales are considered a disappointment. Because it just isn’t.

It’s not like the game was as good as his previous titles either, yet it still out sold most of them.

4 • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

@bloodbornelore: market that is massively more popular compared to when previous titles from the 2000's where released. it was released on a system that had sold at the time like 100 million units so no 5 million by a guy who is perceived to be the greatest developer in gaming to alot of people (if you listen to them talk) is not that great of an achievement in my eyes.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

@xnshd: It all speaks only growth/profit for the new semi-independent Kojima Productions. And for a game which was made in less than two years flat, yet everybody said it wouldn’t release until 2021/2022 at the very earliest “now that Kojima can do what he wants.” So yeah, I do listen to the community but you gotta tune out most of the nonsense, such as thinking 5 mill units sold isn’t a success. I think to call it a disappointment is either silly or just poor choice of words. I can’t wrap my head around the pessimism towards a highly successful title.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for KahnArtizt
KahnArtizt

1622

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 20

User Lists: 0

@xnshd: For as much blind hate the game gets coupled with its niche audience, 5M is very impressive. Even Halo 1, Gears 1, and Assassins Creed 1 were only able to sell ~5M copies and those games were as mainstream as it gets and marketed like crazy.

2 • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

Edited By xNSHD

@KahnArtizt: lets be real here. gaming wasnt even half as popular now than as it was back in 2007 when Assassins creed 1 launched let alone halo 1 which launched solely on a brand new platform that was just finding its footing.

halo selling 5 million on its first game on a brand new console by a new player in the industry is a massive achievement. that would be like google making a games console and it having its "system seller" sell like 10 million because like i said gaming is more than twice as popular now than it was back in 2001.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

@xnshd: “ lets be real here. gaming wasnt even half as popular now than as it was back in 2007.”

What now? Let’s be real? I thought you said the market was smaller during the early 2000’s? Snake Eater released just two years prior. Yet your argument to me was that 4 million sales for Snake Eater was a smaller market. It wasn’t. Clearly. Because you know, we gotta stay real.

“halo selling 5 million on its first game on a brand new console by a new player in the industry is a massive achievement.”

That’s 1) what I said about Death Stranding, being a new IP and 2) you said that was marketed the hell out of but 3) you don’t see that Halo was being marketed astronomically more than Death Stranding.

Oh my, irony.

2 • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

@bloodbornelore: how many xbox consoles had been sold in 2001 when halo launched compared to how many ps4 consoles had been sold when death stranding launched in 2019. playstation 4 had like 10 times the amount of units out their compared to the OG xbox. so yes halo selling that well is impressive yet death stranding selling 5 mil when 100 mil consoles had been sold aint that impressive.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By BloodborneLore

@xnshd: So they’re not very comparable and Halo should have done a lot better. Halo was advertised about 50 times more frequently. Was a flagship FPS. In comparison to a niche genre in which Kojima himself struggled to describe. It also took until 26th January 2004 for Halo to sell just 4 million copies. So by your logic, Halo: CE should have sold better. A game which released in 1999 to a much larger install base of PC gamers. :/

Upvote • 
Avatar image for KahnArtizt
KahnArtizt

1622

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 20

User Lists: 0

@xnshd: A niche, original IP selling 5M is pretty damn good regardless. The only new IP that has sold that well in the last 5 years was Horizon Zero Dawn and that has VASTLY more mass appeal than an artsy walking sim and is also a much better game overall.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

Edited By xNSHD

@KahnArtizt: 100 mil consoles sold 5 mil copies sold aint great.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for KahnArtizt
KahnArtizt

1622

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 20

User Lists: 0

@xnshd: For a niche game that discourages violence with very little mass appeal made by a very eccentric Japanese man with a penchant for metaphorical storytelling with tons of symbolism, it sure is. Only braindead casual games like Call of Duty and FIFA can sell 30M copies.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

@KahnArtizt: the game had mass appeal because of the name associated with it. all people talked about was it was the new game from kojima post konami like he made the game all on his lonesome.

also talking about only casual games selling 30m. would you class witcher 3, human fall flat, animal crossing horizons, terraria, just to name a few that have also sold 30m plus casual games. i could go on if you want.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By BloodborneLore

@xnshd: It is compared to Halo and the platforms it released on. Or any original IP from Xbox in the last decade for that matter.

Have another go at trying to make it seem like 5M sales is “disappointing”. I’m sure you are disappointed but the reasons stated don’t imply that it’s a disappointing result.

2 • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

@bloodbornelore: the fanboy is strong in you.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By BloodborneLore

@xnshd: Not as strong as your self-evident desperation and failure to refute.

I tell you that Halo only sold 4 million copies by Jan 2004 to a much wider install base of PC gamers, which is a fact btw, and your response is to call me a fanboy? Lol. Looks like you’re talking about yourself there.

2 • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

@bloodbornelore: death stranding also launched on PC lol!

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By BloodborneLore

@xnshd: Yeah… last year… so LOL right back atcha. ;)

Halo was out for five years before it hit 4 million and that was marketed like crazy. Just goes to show.

2 • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

@bloodbornelore: so wait are you trying to say that death stranding is more impressive than halo which at the time was on a console that had like 20 million units sold in its entire life. compared to a console that had 100 million units sold at the time that death stranding launched. dude your talking garbage.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

@xnshd: No, I’m not saying that at all. I’m pointing out your hypocrisy and allowing the facts and figures to speak for themselves. They both released on PC except Death Stranding was only last year. That’s not an opinion. I’m merely correcting your bad comparison.

It would seem you don’t understand context very well. Either that or you’re trying to bait me into a fanboy argument. See, if I were to call something “impressive” then that would indicate a bias, like “disappointing” does. You’re trying to make it seem like I’m this fanboy and it appears to be your only argument. I think such a statement makes you look like a complete hypocrite TBH.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

@bloodbornelore: the facts are these. 5 million sold across 100 mil consoles on a platform by the most well known platform holder in the world (sony) compared to 5 million sold on a console that had 24 million lifetime sales by a completely new player in the industry which at of people laughed at when they announced they were making a game console.

then in 2004 halo 2 launches and becomes the biggest entertainment launch of all time (at the time) goes on to create a franchise that is widely considered to be on the best FPS series out there. compared to death stranding which will do very well to even have a sequel green lit let alone become the biggest entertainment launch of all time.

halo will forever be remembered in gaming history where as death stranding will be a game that people bring up from time to time in the context of "oh ye remember death stranding i completely forgot about that." it will be remembered in the same sense as knack, just brought up passively when discussing old forgotten games.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bloodbornelore
BloodborneLore

1356

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By BloodborneLore

@xnshd: You’re still ignoring the fact that the flagship FPS in which we’re referring to sold only 4 million to a much wider audience on both console and PC between 1999 and 2004. Which shows just how bad the comparison is. Especially when Death Stranding reaches higher figures in a shorter span of time. Nothing to think around. It just is what it is. I’m not here to argue your opinion. But what that analysis does show is case in point to the OP: It’s is as mainstream as it gets. Yet it still didn’t sell as many copies in such short length of time, despite Halo being available to a much wider audience across PC and across double the amount of years gone by. 🤷‍♂️

Upvote • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

@bloodbornelore: yes 1999 is exactly when halo launched.

end of conversation.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for KahnArtizt
KahnArtizt

1622

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 20

User Lists: 0

@xnshd: God of War (2005), a meteorically influential action game with mass appeal by a renowned studio, marketed to hell and back, on a console that had sold over 100M units at the time of its launch only sold 4.6M lifetime sales. How's that for a comparison?

Upvote • 
Avatar image for xnshd
xNSHD

3154

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

@KahnArtizt: in 2005 santa monica had made exactly 1 game before god of war. wouldnt say renowned studio with mass appeal at the time of god of war.

try again.

Upvote •