Last Updated on Apr 3, 2025 @ 20:02:43 PM.
Death Stranding was released in 2019 exclusively for the PlayStation 4, and it is safe to say that the game grew on the player base after the game director shared an impressive milestone. Not everyone was keen on walking all over post-apocalyptic America to deliver packages to isolated cities while evading tar creatures and unraveling a mystery; however, this was a treat that must be experienced at least once.
There Are Still 20 Million Active Porters Delivering Packages in Death Stranding
The gaming community felt indifferent towards the first Death Stranding a few years ago since the gameplay was mostly walking and there were only a handful of exciting combat. Director Hideo Kojima took a gamble with his first original IP since his departure from his previous company, and the gaming community took their sweet time to realize what made this project great.
Director Hideo Kojima is known to be active and vocal on social media and often shares his achievements with his fans. The Japanese director shared the current player stats of the game and expressed his gratitude after realizing the game has accumulated 20 million porters since it launched in 2019.
The PS4 version was released in November 2019. Shortly after, the world was hit by the pandemic.
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) March 31, 2025
The PC version followed in July 2020, then the PS5 version of DSDC in September 2021. The PC version of DSDC came in March 2022, the Mac version in January 2024, and the Xbox version… pic.twitter.com/tNdQMCiTxV
Kojima mentioned that the world faced a global pandemic a few months after it was released, and this may have benefitted the game since the gaming community was forced indoors. The story of Norman Reedus’ Sam Porter Bridges became a harsh reality and won fans over after they understood Kojima’s message.
Director Hideo Kojima Brought the World Together by Delivering Packages
Death Stranding is not a game where players can spend hours playing against or alongside fellow players, especially since they are alone on this lonely journey. However, Kojima’s design and concept left a strong impression.
It isn’t easy to reach 20 million players, but Hideo Kojima made it work and this could build momentum toward the launch of the upcoming sequel. This achievement may not mean much to the average player, but it is a testament to Kojima’s creative vision being powerful enough to unite the world.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out who Timothee Chalamet could be playing in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, or how Kojima Productions is taking a few steps backward with the upcoming collector’s edition.
Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!
