In a surprise move, Death Stranding debuted today on Xbox Series X|S with the Directors Cut version. This release ends the console exclusivity of the franchises first game with PlayStation, which had previously launched on PC. However, today’s release was made possible by a key development.
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Kojima Productions Now Fully Owns the Death Stranding Franchise
Coinciding with the unexpected release of Death Stranding: Director’s Cut for Xbox, Kojima Productions announced that it now has full ownership of the franchise, meaning they have complete control over future releases and platform choices.
Initially, Death Stranding became possible through a publishing deal with Sony Interactive Entertainment. After its release, Kojima Productions partnered with 505 Games to bring the game to PC, sparking attention as Sony removed the franchise from its PlayStation exclusives list. It’s worth noting that there were rumors regarding the first game’s sales not meeting the Japanese company’s expectations.
"KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS will continue focusing on bringing its award-winning IP, DEATH STRANDING, to more platforms and audiences. KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS also confirms it now fully owns the Death Stranding IP."
Although Death Stranding: Director’s Cut has come to Xbox Series X|S via 505 Games, Kojima Productions now owns the IP—a noteworthy point since Death Stranding 2 is in development with only a PlayStation 5 release mentioned so far. Given its ownership, Kojima Productions is free to negotiate for temporary or extended exclusivity agreements.
Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is now available not only on Xbox Series X|S but also on Amazon Luna.
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Currently, Kojima Productions, based in Japan and the United States, is working on Death Stranding 2, Physint with Sony, and Overdose with Xbox.
Stay tuned here on LEVEL UP.
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