Copies of Hideo Kojima’s first independent game are already out in the wild, in the hands of influencers and professional critics until the Death Stranding review embargo lifts on November 1, 2019. That should be the case, anyway, but it appears as though story spoilers are somehow already making their way online.
As always, when a game is available ahead of launch, there is a risk of spoilers. Resetera even has a “spoiler” thread of possible leaks. If you want to go into Death Stranding blind, start muting keywords on social media and avoiding the offending websites right now. After years of intrigue and suspense, it’d be pretty crushing for anyone to have the latest game from one of gaming’s few true auteurs ruined. Narratively speaking, at least.
With that PSA handled and information blackout engaged for the remaining weeks preceding Death Stranding’s launch, what might this early review embargo tell us? With an entire week between the embargo lifting at 02:01 am ET on November 1 and public launch on November 8, 2019, it’s possible to infer that Kojima Productions and Sony Interactive Entertainment have full confidence in their product.
With seven days for voices to be heard on whether or not the game lives up to its lofty expectations, it appears to be a telling show of confidence that the critical response to Death Stranding will not be overly negative. This is, of course, conjecture based on past events where it’s appeared as though review embargoes have been upheld until launch day in order to preserve sales for disappointing games.
Either way, you now know to avoid potential spoilers and mark your calendars for November 1st, in order to read up on whether Death Stranding has been worth the excruciating three-year wait. The game is scheduled to launch exclusively for PS4 on Friday, November 8.
