One of the most high-profile additions to Xbox Game Pass last month was the arrival of Death Stranding Director's Cut from Kojima Productions, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the title absolutely shot up the Xbox player charts last week as a result.
As shared by Circana's Mat Piscatella, prior to its Game Pass arrival, Death Stranding ranked 501st by total weekly active users on Xbox in the US. In the week commencing January 24th (shortly after its XGP drop), the Hideo Kojima adventure rose all the way up to 16th on that list; a massive leap from the week prior.
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The game didn't quite make the platform's top 10, but here's what did, if you're curious:
Of course, given that Death Stranding Director's Cut finally made its Xbox debut back in 2024 (five years after the PS4 launch), it's not surprising that the game had dropped way down the charts prior to its XGP arrival. Still, the sheer jump here showcases just how much of a player boost a game can get via Xbox Game Pass, and why devs continue to add titles to the service - even a while after launch.
If you haven't given this one a go yet — either standalone or via Game Pass — it's safe to say that we wholeheartedly recommend it. On its Xbox arrival well over a year ago now, we granted the Kojima effort a Pure Xbox 10/10; a must-play for fans of unique AAA action-adventures. You can read over our full written review on it down below!