If you played the first Death Stranding, you almost certainly remember Conan O’Brien’s chaotic, deeply charming cameo as the Ludens Fan, a reclusive prepper who gifted Sam the iconic otter hat that made wading through deep rivers way less of a headache. That cameo became one of the most talked about moments of the 2019 game, blending Kojima’s signature love of celebrity cameos with genuinely useful gameplay rewards. It’s no surprise, then, that fans lost their minds when early teasers for the sequel confirmed he’d be returning. In this post, we’re breaking down every confirmed detail about conan death stranding 2, from his expanded role to hidden easter eggs we’ve spotted in official trailers, plus actionable tips to unlock all his exclusive rewards when the game launches.
Conan’s Confirmed Role in Death Stranding 2 So Far
Kojima first confirmed Conan’s return back in 2022, when he posted a behind-the-scenes photo of the two on set for motion capture, with a cryptic caption that read “the otter is back”. We didn’t get any concrete details for almost a year after that, but the 2023 Game Awards trailer gave us our first real hints at what his role would look like. Unlike the first game, where you only met him once in a hidden mountain shelter, his character is now a full time resident of Central Knot City, running a broadcast station that streams entertainment content to preppers across the continent.
He won’t just be a side NPC you visit once for a reward. Leaks from closed playtests confirm he has a full 8-part side quest line, separate from the main story, that tasks you with helping him set up broadcast towers in remote areas, deliver special equipment to his production team, and even defend his station from BT attacks and Homo Demens raiders. Completing his full quest line doesn’t just give you cool cosmetic items, either.
The upgraded otter suit you unlock cuts timefall damage by 70% when you’re caught out in the rain, and lets you swim through deep rivers and even coastal timefall pools without losing stamina. That’s a game changer for players who like to take off the beaten path to deliver rare supplies to isolated preppers, or who want to explore the new coastal map areas without having to constantly stop to repair their gear. The quest line also has a ton of funny, ad-libbed lines from Conan himself, so it never feels like generic filler content.
Easter Eggs and Hidden References to Conan Spotted in DS2 Trailers
Kojima is famous for hiding tiny, easy-to-miss references for long time fans, and Death Stranding 2’s trailers are already packed with nods to Conan’s role. Most of these are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shots that only pop up for a frame or two, so it’s no surprise many fans haven’t spotted them yet. We’ve rounded up all the confirmed Conan-related easter eggs spotted in official footage so far:
- A billboard for his in-universe late night show "Conan Without Borders: Post-Apocalyptic Edition" posted outside the Mountain Knot City outpost
- A custom delivery request for "12 cases of Conan’s favorite hot sauce" that pops up in the game’s menu screen during a 10-second trailer clip
- An otter-shaped BT easter egg that only appears if you wear the original otter hat while traveling through a specific BT infested zone near the coast
None of these easter eggs are required to progress the story, of course, but they’re a fun nod to long time fans of both Conan and Kojima’s work. You might have missed the 2-second clip of Conan’s character hosting a radio show in the background of a Knot City common area in the TGA trailer, either. The audio is muted, but lip reading fans have confirmed he’s making a joke about how even the apocalypse can’t cancel his show.
If you’re a fan of deep cut Kojima easter eggs, you’ll want to set aside extra time to explore every nook of the game’s map to find all of Conan’s hidden references. Some of them are so well hidden that even playtesters haven’t found all of them yet, so there will be plenty of surprises waiting when the game launches. We’ve even seen hints that there’s a secret ending for his quest line that only unlocks if you find all 12 of his hidden hot sauce stashes scattered across the map.
How Conan’s Death Stranding 2 Arc Ties to the First Game’s Lore
You might be wondering how Conan’s expanded role fits into the darker, more urgent plot of Death Stranding 2. The sequel picks up 5 years after the end of the first game, when the chiral network is mostly up and running, but a new threat from the Homo Demens and a mysterious new BT variant threatens to tear it all down. Conan’s arc directly ties into the game’s core theme of what it means to reconnect, beyond just sharing data and supplies. His broadcast station doesn’t just deliver news or practical tips to preppers – it delivers comedy, music, and stories from other survivors, giving people a reason to keep going even when things look bleak.
His story will also tie into the new villain faction, the Homo Demens, who are targeting entertainment outposts as part of their campaign to break the network. They believe that any content that isn’t directly related to survival is a waste of resources, so they’ve been destroying broadcast towers and kidnapping content creators across the continent. A big part of Conan’s quest line involves rescuing members of his production team who were taken during a raid on his first station, and setting up redundant towers so his show can keep running even if one location is attacked.
If you have a completed save file from the first Death Stranding, you’ll also get an exclusive opening cutscene for his quest line where he references your first meeting in the mountains, and teases that he’s been working on a special reward for you ever since you helped him reconnect to the network the first time. It’s a small touch, but it makes the world feel much more connected and consistent across both games, and it rewards long time fans for their investment in the first title’s side content.
Tips to Unlock All of Conan’s Exclusive Rewards in DS2
If you’re eager to unlock all of Conan’s exclusive rewards as soon as you start playing, there are a few simple tips you can follow to speed up the process. These are all based on confirmed playtest details and official trailer hints, so they’re not just random speculation. None of these tricks break the game or feel like exploits, either – they just help you avoid missing time-sensitive content that you might otherwise overlook on your first playthrough.
Prioritize picking up any delivery requests with Conan’s otter logo next to them as soon as they pop up. Some of these requests are time sensitive, and if you let them expire, you’ll have to wait until your second playthrough to access the associated quests. You’ll also want to grab the rare aged whiskey from the hidden bunker just south of the starting distribution center as soon as you leave the tutorial area. Bringing that whiskey to Conan when you first meet him skips the first three introductory fetch quests for his line, and unlocks his full quest list immediately, saving you at least an hour of grinding.
When you’re working through his quests, make sure to take the time to explore the areas around the broadcast towers you set up. Most of the hidden hot sauce stashes are within a few hundred meters of these towers, so you can knock out two goals at once if you take a few extra minutes to look around. You don’t have to complete his quest line to beat the main story, of course, but the rewards are well worth the effort. The upgraded otter suit alone will save you hours of time repairing gear and waiting out timefall storms, and the custom backpack charm makes NPCs 30% more likely to give you free rare supplies when you stop at their shelters. Even if you’re just playing through the main story once, it’s worth carving out time to complete at least half of his quests to get the basic version of the otter suit.
Conan’s cameo in the first Death Stranding was a perfect example of Kojima’s ability to blend silly, lighthearted moments with genuine gameplay value, and it looks like the sequel is leaning into that even more. Whether you’re a die hard Conan fan who’s been following his work for decades, a long time Kojima fan who loves hunting for easter eggs, or just a casual player who wants to make their delivery runs a little easier, there’s something for everyone in his expanded arc. We’ll keep updating this post as more official details about conan death stranding 2 drop ahead of launch, so be sure to check back for new tips, easter egg guides, and quest walkthroughs as soon as they’re available.
