Death Stranding Reaches 20 Million Players Milestone Ahead of Sequel Release

Death Stranding has reached an impressive milestone with over 20 million players worldwide, and its just three months before its sequel drops.

Hideo Kojima shared the news on social media with a grateful message: “The number of ‘Death Stranding’ players has exceeded 20 million. Thank you very much. Sams from all over the world are still delivering. You are connecting the world.”

It’s worth noting this figure counts players, not sales. So if you borrowed your friend’s copy or played through a subscription service, you’re part of this count too!

So what helped Death Stranding reach so many players? Its availability across multiple platforms made a huge difference. After starting on PS4, the game gradually expanded to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Mac, iOS, and even Amazon Luna. Plus, being included in subscription services like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass introduced Kojima’s unique world to millions who might not have purchased it outright.

The game even appeared as a freebie on Epic Games Store twice, in December 2022 and May 2023, letting curious gamers try this unconventional “delivery simulator” without spending a dime.

As Daniel Ahmad from Niko Partners pointed out Death Stranding had sold fewer than 5 million copies during its early days as a PlayStation 4 exclusive back in 2019.

“Making the game more accessible has led to 20m+ players experiencing the IP prior to the launch of its sequel,” Ahmad explained in a recent X post, adding that the sequel “will require players to own a PS5 to play at launch.”

Worth noting that the game had sold less than 5m copies prior to the PC, PS+, PS5, Series X|S, Mac releases.

Making the game more accessible has led to 20m+ players experiencing the IP prior to the launch of its sequel that will require players to own a PS5 to play at launch. https://t.co/92yRzaNoVy

— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) March 31, 2025

Financially also, Death Stranding did well. Digital Bros reported that the PC release alone brought in €23 million ($27 million) by December 2020, making it 505 Games’ biggest hit that year. Latest VG Insights data shows it’s now reached $91 million in gross revenue on Steam alone.

There’s currently a surge of interest in the original game, with Steam numbers rising in March 2025 (4000 to 6000 daily in the last 15 days) as per SteamDB. Players are likely revisiting or discovering Death Stranding for the first time before Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launches on June 26.

Kojima has kept fans updated on the sequel’s progress, recently announcing that all recording and sound mixing work is complete.