Death Stranding PC Delayed Until July

Late in March, Kojima Productions sent all of its employees home to work remotely after one employee tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the PC release for the studio's first title, Death Stranding, has been delayed to July 14.

Initially meant to launch on June 2, Death Stranding will launch on Steam, the Epic Game Store, and retail. In a tweet, Kojima Productions apologized for the delay but stressed that the decision was made as a result of work-from-home orders and the change it brought about.

Death Stranding was announced for PC earlier this year, after launching exclusively on PS4 in 2019. The port will feature higher frame rates afforded by more powerful PC hardware, ultra-wide monitor support, and a photo mode (which was recently added to the PS4 version). The port also features some crossover content with Half-Life, with Sam Bridges seen wearing a Headcrab in the announcement trailer. Half-Life: Alyx, which launched last month, also features a Death Stranding easter egg.

The delay is another result of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. The Last of Us Part II, which was originally meant to launch at the end of May, was recently delayed indefinitely after Naughty Dog and Sony acknowledged distribution issues due to widespread national lockdowns.

Death Stranding is worth the wait though, and was one of our favorite games of 2019. In our 9/10 Death Stranding review, critic Kallie Plagge praised the game's themes and its relevance, saying, "It's positive without ignoring pain; in fact, it argues in both its story and its gameplay that adversity itself is what makes things worth doing and life worth living. It's a game that requires patience, compassion, and love, and it's also one we really need right now."