Death Stranding Director's Cut release date set for September 24

The Death Stranding Director's Cut release date is September 24, putting the PS5-exclusive upgrade just over two months out.

Naturally, the whole game has been visually remastered for PS5, and there'll be some new story missions added in as well. You'd expect that much from a Director's Cut coming to a new console. More surprising is the array of mechanical upgrades in the upcoming re-release. Today's trailer teased new enemies to fight using expanded combat mechanics including an upgraded melee and new guns, all of which you'll get to test at the new simulated firing range.

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Death Stranding is fundamentally a game about moving things from point A to point B, so the Director's Cut has also added new delivery tools to help you transport deliveries more quickly. There's a support skeleton (presumably to increase your carrying capacity or keep you steady), a jump ramp to help you clear gaps, a buddy bot who'll carry things alongside you, and a catapult for when you really don't care about that 'handle with care' label. We can't wait to see what absurd transport systems people build with these things, and calling it now; The buddy bot is going to be the next internet darling after the pot boys from Elden Ring.

The most left-field addition may be the Fragile Circuit race track, which is exactly what it sounds like. This racing side mode looks remarkably in-depth, with a range of vehicles and tracks. It's even got ghosts to race against in time trials. Death Stranding has always been a bizarre amalgamation of profoundly video game-y ideas playing off unabashedly heavy and cinematic exposition, so screw it, why not put the bones of a racing game in there?