Death Stranding 2 Tops UK Physical Sales Charts

Image: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has debuted at number one in the United Kingdom's physical games sales chart for the week ending June 28, 2025. The long-awaited sequel from Kojima Productions has managed to claim the top spot, ahead of several big-name titles including Mario Kart World and Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition.

Released on June 26, Death Stranding 2 continues Sam Porter Bridges’ journey as players connect a new continent to the chiral network in this atmospheric and cinematic adventure. However, despite leading the physical sales chart, the game’s launch numbers have raised some eyebrows when compared to its predecessor.

According to a tweet by Christopher Dring of GamesIndustry.biz, physical sales for Death Stranding 2 were 66% lower than the original Death Stranding. While that might sound concerning at first, Dring noted the stark shift in consumer behavior over the years, saying, “It’s a far more digital market today,” highlighting how physical game sales don't carry the same weight they once did.

Adding further context, Dring pointed out that DS2’s physical launch sales were also 33% lower than those of Astro Bot, another recent PS5 exclusive. Of course, the difference in genre and target audience likely plays a role in that comparison. Death Stranding 2 leans heavily into narrative-driven and experimental gameplay, which may not appeal to the same crowd that flocks to more action-oriented or family-friendly releases.

Backing up this chart placement, VGChartz published data from GfK, which confirmed the game’s number one ranking for the week ending June 28. Death Stranding 2 was followed by Mario Kart World in second place and Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition at number three. The rest of the top ten included fan favorites like Hogwarts Legacy, Minecraft, and The Witcher III: Wild Hunt GOTY Edition, showing a healthy mix of new and evergreen titles still making strong showings at retail.

Here’s the full top 10 list of UK physical game sales for the week:

1. Death Stranding 2

2. Mario Kart World

3. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition

4. Hogwarts Legacy

5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

6. Minecraft

7. The Thing Remastered

8. EA Sports FC 25

9. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt – GOTY Edition

10. Mortal Kombat 1

Overall, the game is well-received by the critics and holds a Metacritic score of 90 based on 114 critic reviews, earning Universal Acclaim. That’s a significant leap from the original game’s score of 82 and even higher than the Director’s Cut, which scored 85. It now ranked among the top 10 best-reviewed games of 2025, sitting just behind titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (93), Blue Prince (92), and Split Fiction (91).