Skip to main content

Don’t fret, PC players: Death Stranding will hit Epic Games Store and Steam

Death Stranding Norman Reedus
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Death Stranding was recently confirmed to get a PC release in 2020, but details were limited about where players would be able to purchase and launch the game. Publisher 505 Games has now revealed that it will launch next summer on Epic Games Store, but don’t fret if you aren’t fond of that store: It’s also coming to Steam.

When Death Stranding releases on PC in summer 2020, it will have a simultaneous launch on both Epic Games Store and Steam. Both versions will cost $60, so your choice of store will come entirely down to personal preference.

505 Games is not the only company giving players more choice in how they purchase their digital PC games. After years of using its own Origin service, Electronic Arts recently brought many of its own games to Steam. This includes next week’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Oddly, Need for Speed Heat, which just launched, is not available on Steam and must still be purchased through Origin.

Death Stranding: Inside Kojima Productions

Currently, Death Stranding is available exclusively on PlayStation 4. The game was made with the Decima engine created by Sony’s own Guerilla Games, with the same technology also being used in 2017’s Horizon: Zero Dawn. Director Hideo Kojima has a long history of having games on PlayStation platforms, dating back to the original Metal Gear Solid in 1998. In recent years, the Metal Gear series has also released on PC and Xbox One, though Metal Gear Solid IV has remained a PS3 exclusive for over a decade.

When PC players do eventually get their hands on Death Stranding, they’re in for a very bizarre, methodical approach to the action genre. In our review, we found the story and performances, as well the stealth, to be its highlights. The game’s delivery system and open world weren’t as impressive, and the huge time commitment required to complete the game could turn off players looking for a thrill ride. The same issue plagued Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which required players to replay a large number of missions on a harder difficulty level in order to see the true ending — an ending that was itself not truly finished, as additional content had to be cut.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Death Stranding feels more at home on PS5 than it did on PS4
death stranding directors cut impressions screenshot 04 teaser en 04may21

Death Stranding was ahead of its time, though not in the way you’re probably thinking. Usually, that’s an expression reserved for innovation that feels light-years ahead of the competition. In the case of Hideo Kojima’s polarizing “strand” game, I mean that the project quite literally launched before technology could do it full justice.

DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT - Preview Trailer - [ESRB] 4K

Read more
Every exclusive game available in the Epic Games Store
Games available on the Epic Games Store.

The Epic Games Store has managed to become a real threat to Steam in just a matter of months. Launched in 2018, the store from the studio behind money-printer Fortnite has enticed developers both large and small with far friendlier revenue splits than Steam. Now, there are a lot of exclusive games on the Epic Games Store.

Although many titles have made their way over to Steam -- including Metro Exodus and Borderlands 3 -- Epic has a strong lineup of exclusive titles. In addition to AAA blockbusters from publishers like Ubisoft, Epic manages to grab the attention of a lot of indie outfits.

Read more
Death Stranding is getting a PlayStation 5 Director’s Cut
Sam Bridges stands with the child he must carry with him.

The Death Stranding Director's Cut is headed to the PlayStation 5, with the announcement coming during Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live event.

This news was revealed by the game's director, Hideo Kojima, though it's not totally clear what the Director's Cut will offer. A brief trailer was shown, and it makes some cheeky references to Metal Gear Solid, another of Kojima's games.

Read more