Death Stranding passes 28 million players in seven years

Kojima Productions counted the original, Director’s Cut and Death Stranding 2. Here’s what the milestone covers and where to play both games.

Hideo Kojima marked the seventh anniversary of Death Stranding on November 7 by sharing a new milestone. The series has passed 28 million players worldwide. That’s a big audience for a game that can make crossing a river with a full backpack the most stressful part of your evening.

The total covers the original Death Stranding, its Director’s Cut and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. It includes people who played through subscription services, so it measures how far the series reached. Kojima Productions gave no sales figure or breakdown by game or platform.

Death Stranding had already reached 20 million before the sequel

Kojima Productions announced that the first game had passed 20 million players in March 2025, three months before the sequel launched on PS5. By then, a game that started on PS4 in 2019 had already reached PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, compatible Apple devices and Amazon Luna.

Death Stranding 2 arrived on PS5 in June 2025 and on PC in March 2026. Both releases came between the two milestones. The original had already built a sizable audience by the time the sequel arrived, and the combined figure leaves open how much each game contributed after that.

Where to play Death Stranding and Death Stranding 2

PS5 and Windows PC are where you can play both games. On Xbox Series X|S, the first game is available as Director’s Cut. On PC, you can get the sequel through Steam or the Epic Games Store.

If you’re starting from scratch, go with Director’s Cut. It adds missions, equipment and even a racetrack. But the best introduction is a moment you can have on any ordinary delivery. You’re running out of options, and a bridge another player built gets you across. Later, something you leave behind can do the same for a stranger. That’s Death Stranding in two moments.