DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT News

Porters, the latest update for DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT is out now on Steam. This update contains the following:

• XeSS v1.1 - Introduces improved temporal stability for XeSS DP4a and XMX models
  
• Reduced ghosting, moire and flickering
  
• DualSense Edge Support
  

Please note: Players will need to disable Steam Input and connect their controller with a USB C cable in order to use the full functionality of the DualSense Edge.

In our third #DSPorterSpotlight of the year, we’re celebrating the amazing work of Ray Reynolds, a fan who is no stranger to the 505 Games community.

Ray’s creativity within the DEATH STRANDING community is inspiring and today, we’re taking a deep dive into how Ray goes about creating those amazing cinemagraphs and fan posters which have caught our attention in recent months.



[h3]INTERVIEW WITH RAY REYNOLDS[/h3]

Hi Ray! Great to have you on board for this month’s #DSPorterSpotlight piece! We’ve been fans of your DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT cinemagraphs and your fan posters for a while. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and what makes you a DEATH STRANDING superfan?

Hiya! Thank you very much for having me. I'm Ray, I'm a virtual photographer, artist and writer from Ireland. In the last few years I've battled with cancer and serious illness but as silly as it sounds since my diagnosis coincided with the release of DEATH STRANDING. I've lived my life by one motto. "Keep On Keeping On" and it's actually helped me in more ways than I can explain.



What drew you to play DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT in the first place?

To be completely honest, I was always going to play DEATH STRANDING. If it's a KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS game, I'm there on day one. What amazed me was how much I fell in love with it.
DEATH STRANDING launched at a very much needed time in my life. In the span of two years I was diagnosed with cancer, lost two brothers in the space of 8 weeks, lost our home and lost our dog. Things were dark. I couldn't get out of bed due to my illness but I could play, and that's where DEATH STRANDING came in.

It sounds silly when I say it, but for a man who couldn't get out of bed and has faced so much darkness, when that landscape opened up on the hills above CAPITOL KNOT CITY I had an escape from it all, with one foot in front of the other I could escape and in that journey I dealt with my grief, my pain and my loss. With one foot in front of the other, with each strand, each knot, I walked my way out of the darkest time in my life, when I wasn't able to walk the length of my home. DEATH STRANDING gave me an escape I didn't know I needed.



Can you talk us through the process of putting together your cinemagraphs and fan posters?

DEATH STRANDING is so visually stunning, it makes my job editing incredibly easy if I'm honest. With each fan poster I create, I like to imagine each chapter of the game like its own mini movie, and how the residents and preppers of the UCA would tell stories about Sam Bridge’s journey west. He's the first celebrity of the new world. What if they made movies about his journey? He is THE action star of the UCA so I tried to imagine what UCA movie posters would look like.

For my cinemagraphs I first find the image I feel will work best, luckily DEATH STRANDING isn't short on both serene and action packed moments. Once I find my shot I use an animation tool called MoviePic to first make the skies move. You find this automatically brings the image to life.

I then draw in smaller details like lens flares to make BB pods glow or small waves in the Tar to add depth to the scene. I then add movement to the frame with an overlay of Timefall (rain or snow)
What really brings it together towards the end is the addition of a small amount of sway to the image itself, so the viewer feels like they can step right into the frame or like the frame is about to step right out at them.



When playing DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT, how do you go about capturing that perfect shot that can be used for your cinemagraphs and fan posters?

Sometimes I'll begin a play session with a photo in mind. Maybe I want to see Sam's boots approaching the weather station, or capture a cool shot of Higgs doing his best villain pose. The real beauty of DEATH STRANDING’s photo mode is at any point in your journey you can activate it. Thanks to the incredibly detailed world, characters and photo mode settings, you're going to find a shot you like. The game does all the hard work, I'm just the lucky porter who gets to capture it.



Do you have any advice for new Porters who might be about to play DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT for the first time?

You don’t need that many hermetic grenades. Save the space for more cargo!

Also, just take your time. The wonderful thing about DEATH STRANDING is the destination is always going to be there, but the journey is what makes it so special. Five star those Preppers, play BB a song, climb to that peak just to say you did it, build that road just to say you made it, but most of all, take the long way round and have fun.

My Grandad used to say with two feet and heartbeat you can get past most problems. Never has it been as true as with DEATH STRANDING.

Keep on keeping on! I know I will for as long as I can.

Follow Ray Reynolds on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RayReynoldsNMS

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1850570/DEATH_STRANDING_DIRECTORS_CUT/

[h3]DEATH STRANDING DELIVERS INNOVATIVE APPAREL LINE IN COLLABORATION WITH LEADING FASHION DESIGNER[/h3]

KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS has partnered with luxury London designer and tailor to the stars, Gresham Blake on a DEATH STRANDING inspired, unisex clothing line, now available to purchase.

The new, made to order range draws inspiration from DEATH STRANDING’s rich design aesthetic. The collection has been curated by Gresham Blake, a design led tailor that specialises in creating bespoke, made-to-measure luxury clothing. The range encapsulates the game through unique imagery and vibrant patterns, each product is offered in tonal black or a coloured style.

Pricing information available at Official Kojima Productions Store, the collection includes:

● Gresham Blake x Death Stranding Tracksuit
● Gresham Blake x Death Stranding Bucket Hat (image below)
● Gresham Blake x Death Stranding Jacket (Silk)
● Gresham Blake x Death Stranding Jacket (Micro Poly)
● Gresham Blake x Death Stranding Bomber Jacket (image below)
● Gresham Blake x Death Stranding Shirt



(Photo)「Gresham Blake x Death Stranding Tracksuit」「Gresham Blake x Death Stranding Bucket Hat」「Gresham Blake x Death Stranding Bomber Jacket」

“Death Stranding has inspired porters around the globe through its thought-provoking storytelling, amazing cast and unique gameplay,” said Jay Boor, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Kojima Productions “We continue to be humbled by the passion shown from our player community and now we are excited to offer them a new way to engage with the franchise through the launch of a bespoke fashion line that pays homage to the game.”

Gresham Blake commented: “Working alongside Kojima Productions on this collaboration has been an incredible opportunity to delve into a space we haven’t explored yet. The endless creativity that goes into game design provided the freedom to have fun with a collection that is an otherworldly take on our usual tailoring. Bold patterns and vibrant fabrics alongside the monochrome equivalent are a deliberate juxtaposition mirroring the light and dark of the plot lines that are delivered with such poignance throughout Death Stranding’s storyline.”



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1850570/DEATH_STRANDING_DIRECTORS_CUT/

Throughout 2023, we’re celebrating several DEATH STRANDING superfans in the form of a monthly #DSPorterSpotlight blog. We want to put the spotlight on those who have gone above and beyond. Those positive forces who bring so much love and passion to this community!

In January, we interviewed the incredibly talented Krystine Art, whose illustrations of iconic DEATH STRANDING characters such as Sam Bridges and Fragile, blew us away. You can check out that interview here.

This month, we’re shining the light on Adam Online, who caught our attention with his incredible Iceland documentary, a country that might look somewhat familiar to DEATH STRANDING fans. If you haven’t already, check out Adam’s Adventures in Chirality documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxuayHJavsk

We spent some time chatting to Adam about that trip, his love for DEATH STRANDING and asked him to share any advice he might have for upcoming Porters new to the game. Enjoy!



[h3]INTERVIEW WITH ADAM ONLINE[/h3]

Hi Adam! Firstly, thank you for taking the time to chat with us! We absolutely loved your Adventures in Chirality video series. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and what makes you a DEATH STRANDING super fan?

Hey, thanks for having me! I’ve been a fan of Hideo Kojima’s work for as long as I’ve been playing video games and was excited to see what he and his team would create with DEATH STRANDING. It quickly became one of my favorite games of all time due to its gripping and unusual story, as well as the engaging approach to traversal in an open world. It all made for a unique gaming experience that I can't get enough of.

Had you planned to visit Iceland before playing DEATH STRANDING and for those who haven’t watched your video series yet, what was the purpose of your trip?

I fell in love with Iceland on my first visit back in 2010 and have returned whenever I can since. There’s nowhere else quite like it. And after playing DEATH STRANDING I was inspired to book a flight and experience Iceland in as close to the way that Sam Bridges does as I could think of: By spending 5 days traveling across the remote highlands on foot, taking in the scenery and looking to understand the real life inspirations behind DEATH STRANDING.



How did exploring Iceland compare to exploring the world in DEATH STRANDING? Any similarities you want to talk about? Any unexpected challenges or surprises?

KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS seemed to perfectly capture the essence of Iceland's varied and beautiful landscape. Much like the game, it can change drastically from one valley to the next and never fails to amaze. I think my favorite similarity has to be the sense of accomplishment you get from getting to the top of a hill and being rewarded with stunning views to take in while you catch your breath. DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT is filled with moments like that, all of which are accompanied by songs from the fantastically curated soundtrack. I found myself putting on my headphones and listening to Low Roar often on my trip.

Have you played DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT since your trip to Iceland and if so, has it changed your perspective on things?

It was one of the first things I did when I returned! It has certainly given me a deeper appreciation for just how difficult and dangerous river crossings can be. I think I’m now a little more cautious when forcing Sam through deep water because of my own experiences!



Do you have any advice for new Porters who might be about to play DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT for the first time?

I think some great advice for anyone playing DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT for the first time, but also for real world hiking, is to take care of Sam's feet! And always make sure your gear is packed and distributed properly or you might find yourself tumbling down a slope or into a river!



Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us, Adam.

Keep on keeping on!

[h3]TUNE INTO ADAM ONLINE’S TWITCH STREAM[/h3]

Want to ask Adam any questions about his journey across Iceland and / or about his love for DEATH STRANDING? Tune into Adam’s Twitch channel tonight at 17:00 GMT / 09:00 PT / 02:00 JP and say hello! You can also follow Adam over on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamOnlineBPF

Want to get involved in any of our creator spotlight interviews going forward? We’re always on the lookout for fans to interview so give us a shout if you want to see yourself on our website. You can contact us via our 505 Games social media channels or here: https://505games.com/uploads/







https://store.steampowered.com/app/1850570/DEATH_STRANDING_DIRECTORS_CUT/

Throughout 2023, we want to celebrate those in our community who go above and beyond. Those whose talents brighten up our mentions on an almost daily basis!

With that in mind, our first blog of the year puts the spotlight on an incredible fan whose DEATH STRANDING charcoal portraits could be mistaken for photos. Meet Krystine, a talented community member from France.

[h3]INTERVIEW WITH KRYSTINE ART[/h3]

Krystine, your work is incredible and we have been absolutely blown away with your talents. It’s a pleasure to be chatting with you! Our first question - Please can you tell us a bit about yourself and how long you’ve been illustrating for?

I'm a French traditional and self-taught artist. Even though I have always drawn, I used to work in the health sector (working with children with disabilities, and also as a medical-psychological assistant for elderly people with mental illness in an institute) but my passion for drawing was much too strong, and now I am more than happy that artist has become my full-time job.

How long does it normally take you to illustrate one of your iconic portraits? Can you tell us a bit about the process?

It takes me about 10/12 hours to complete a single 8x11" portrait. I often share on the social media videos of my process, showing how I use charcoal in many of its forms, how I make the eyes, the details of the hair, eyelashes, how I work to create shadows and lights on faces.



We can see you’re a huge DEATH STRANDING fan, which is music to our ears. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

DEATH STRANDING is an amazing game with brilliant characters and a great story. I love the gameplay! I think It's different from other games we know today. I had fun making deliveries and traveling this world, and it's so beautiful to look at the landscapes in this game. The music is a big plus too!

How influential has social media been in getting your work noticed by the community?

Social media has been the best thing to get my work out there. When I created my Twitter account at the beginning of the pandemic, I didn't know anyone, 0 followers, zero visibility and it didn't work for me. But I kept posting my drawings every day, and one day Jeff Ross, the Game director of Days Gone, saw my drawings and helped me a lot to get visibility, and after that, several studios were interested in my work. I also think that when studios share our work it helps the artists gain a lot of visibility, which is then very motivating to create new pieces!



What’s next? Any character portraits 505 Games need to keep an eye out for?

I have a lot of new illustrations planned! Higgs, Amelie, Fragile, Die-Harman from DEATH STRANDING, but I’m also drawing Jesse Faden from Control again.

2023 is going to be fantastic with lots of art!

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us, Krystine.

Keep on keeping on!

Follow Krystine over on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Krystine_art





Do you want to get involved in any of our creator spotlight interviews going forward? We’re always on the lookout for fans to interview so give us a shout if you want to see yourself on our website or here on Steam!

You can contact us via our 505 Games social media channels or here: https://505games.com/uploads/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1850570/DEATH_STRANDING_DIRECTORS_CUT/