Death Stranding will release on November 8, 2019 as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, a trailer released earlier today by the official PlayStation Twitch channel confirmed. Death Stranding is one of the most anticipated titles remaining in the PS4's life cycle, and teasers have been circulating regarding both the trailer reveal today and the release date for weeks now, often as a direct result of creator Hideo Kojima's social media presence.

Death Stranding is Kojima's first project since his messy departure from Konami in 2015. The game was first revealed at E3 2016 and has had buzz surrounding it ever since. Kojima is famed for his theatrical approach to developing video games, with the Metal Gear Solid series featuring a number of lengthy, dramatic cinematics, and the game director is also known for having a number of celebrity connections. For Death Stranding alone, Kojima has managed to procure the talents and likenesses of Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal), Léa Seydoux (Midnight in Paris) and more, including a guest appearance from Guillermo Del Toro, the director who was previously associated with Kojima on the ill-fated PT project.

Now, fans know exactly when to expect Death Stranding madness to enter into full effect: Death Stranding releases on November 8, 2019 on PS4. The days-long buildup to the reveal trailer started when Kojima began teasing the hashtag #createtherope while sharing difficult-to-see teasers of gameplay footage. The PlayStation Twitch channel got in on the action, with a number of hands appearing on a black screen that offered glimpses into more footage. Earlier today, those hands were cleared and an over eight minute-long trailer debuted, revealing new in-game action alongside a slew of story teasers. Here's the full trailer:


There's a lot to process in the video, but the theme of connection that Kojima has been teasing as so important has finally been made a little clearer. In the wake of whatever BTs are, the United States of America is fractured and disconnected. Sam, Reedus' character, is tasked with re-establishing that connection, although he appears to be doing it at least partially against his will, as his cynical takes pepper the trailer and reveal how grim the situation truly is. There are supernatural elements alongside skeleton soldiers and Sam being transported into what looks like a historical war zone. Freeplay, including environment exploration that has vehicles and intensely-detailed level design, was also showcased during the trailer.

Ultimately, though, Death Stranding's trailer will certainly leave fans with more questions than answers. The most important questions has been addressed, though. Death Stranding immediately becomes one of the must-own titles at the tail-end of 2019, and could be one of the last PS4 exclusives that make a mark on the industry before we transition into the next-generation of consoles. If that's the case, it looks like Death Stranding could help send the PlayStation 4—and Sony's dominance of the market—out with a spectacular bang.