Could Death Stranding arrive before 2019 ends?
A now-removed post on the official Taiwanese Facebook page has suggested that the release date for Death Stranding is November 8, 2019.
The post was noticed and screen grabbed by Twitter account NanoGuidingStar, and brought to wider attention by famed games Twitter account Nibel. A second source provided another screen grab of the post, this time from a mobile account. The post has since been deleted by the PlayStation account, and so there is currently no way of verifying if this is a genuine leak or a hoax. As such, this should absolutely be considered a rumour for now.
Italian journalist and senior editor of Dissapore Antonio Fucito has also tweeted the same date, further adding to speculation around the November 8 date. In addition, IGN has also heard that Death Stranding is due for release this year.
It should, however, be pointed out that this Death Stranding news would not be appearing out of the blue; the PlayStation Twitch account is currently host to a Death Stranding takeover. The video being shown features hand prints in a black oil-like substance, with the prints revealing footage of Death Stranding behind them. More prints appear to be added overtime, gradually revealing larger portions of the gameplay video.
Potentially, when this gradual reveal has run its course, we may get a new trailer and release date. That would certainly explain why the Taiwanese PlayStation Facebook account could have had a post prepared with a release date.
Facebook is not the only place where Death Stranding information has leaked, either. For a while last night, the PS Store reportedly featured a pre-order page for the game, showing a series of pre-order bonuses for purchasing, including golden sunglasses, armor, a hat, and a ‘speed skeleton’.
A synopsis on the now-removed page gives us an idea of the game’s story: “Sam Bridges must brave a world transformed by the Death Stranding,” it says. “Carry the remnants of our future in his hands, he embarks on a journey to reunite the shattered world.”
Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima tweeted yesterday that fans could expect new details on May 29 in the US and Europe and May 30 in Japan, putting the reveal time at absolute minimum at 8am PT / 11am / 4pm UK / 1am AEST, which would be midnight in Japan. He had also tweeted earlier in the week suggesting an online Death Stranding reveal may be on the way.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.