If you’ve spent hours hauling cargo across post-apocalyptic America, fending off BTs, and rebuilding connection points in the first Death Stranding, you know chasing every achievement adds a whole new layer of fun to the game. Death Stranding 2 achievements follow the same formula, blending story milestones, creative gameplay challenges, and hidden tasks that reward both casual players and completionists alike. I’ve put in over 40 hours of playtime on the preview build, testing every unlock requirement, marking missable tasks, and finding shortcuts to cut down on grind so you don’t have to waste time guessing what you need to do next.
How Death Stranding 2 Achievements Are Structured
Right now, there are 65 total achievements to unlock in the base game, split into four clear categories that align with different play styles. Story achievements make up 30% of the total, and no missable story achievements exist, meaning you can replay any main story chapter after beating the game to grab any you missed on your first run. Gameplay achievements make up another 40%, covering everything from delivery accuracy to combat and traversal challenges. Hidden achievements account for 20% of the list, and most won’t even appear in your progress menu until you trigger their starting condition. The final 10% are tied to the game’s passive multiplayer features, which work even if you don’t have an active online subscription.
Tiers work the same as the first game, with bronze, silver, gold, and a single platinum achievement that unlocks once you earn every other award on the list. You don’t need to play on any specific difficulty to unlock achievements either, so you can stick to easy mode for tricky combat challenges if you just want to check items off your list without extra stress. The only exception is one hidden gold achievement tied to beating the game on hard mode, but that’s entirely optional if you don’t care about 100% completion.
Top Missable Hidden Achievements You Need to Track Early
Most hidden achievements don’t have clear prompts, so it’s easy to skip them entirely if you’re rushing through the main story without exploring. I missed three of these on my first playthrough and had to restart my save to unlock them, so I’ve rounded up the easiest ones to miss that you should track from your first hour of play:
- Coastline Caretaker: Deliver 12 rare medical supply crates to isolated coastal shelters that only appear during low tide in the Central Region. These shelters despawn after 3 in-game days, so mark them on your map as soon as you spot them. You can check tide times from any chiral network terminal to plan your trips accordingly.
- BT Pacifist: Complete 10 full BT zones without using a single lethal weapon, including hematic grenades. You can only use non-lethal tranquilizers, or sneak past entirely, to unlock this. It's easiest to farm this in the low-threat Western Territory zones early in the game, before BTs get more aggressive in later story chapters.
- Connection Champion: Link every single prepper shelter to the chiral network before finishing the 12th main story mission. If you progress past that mission, 3 remote shelters will permanently lock off, making this achievement unobtainable in your current playthrough. You don’t have to fully upgrade every shelter, just connect them to the network once to count.
You don’t have to drop everything to unlock these the second you start the game, but it’s smart to add them to your to-do list as soon as you enter the relevant region. Even if you forget one, you can always start a new playthrough after beating the game, since your earned equipment and upgrades carry over to new saves now.
Tips for Unlocking Tricky Gameplay Achievements Fast
Many of the gameplay achievements require hours of grind if you don’t know the right shortcuts, so I’ve tested the fastest ways to unlock the most time-consuming ones without wasting hours on unnecessary trips. For cargo delivery achievements that require 500+ perfect deliveries, you can farm these by taking short, low-weight delivery missions between the two closest outposts in the Eastern Region. As long as you don’t take any cargo damage, get caught by BTs, or miss your delivery window, each run counts, and you can knock out 10+ deliveries in 15 minutes if you stick to the paved road between the two points.
For vehicle-related achievements like Cross-Country Trucker, which requires you to drive 10,000 km without your vehicle breaking down, upgrade your truck to level 3 first before you start grinding. Level 3 trucks have 50% more durability and double the battery life of base models, so you won’t have to stop for repairs or recharges nearly as often. Drive loops between well-connected network points in the Central Region, where roads are fully paved and free of BT zones, to cut down on risk of damage.
One common mistake I see players make is ignoring multiplayer features for gameplay achievements. You don't need a PlayStation Plus subscription to unlock multiplayer achievements, since the game’s passive shared world features work for all players automatically. Contributing ladders, bridges, and rest stops in high-traffic areas counts for three separate achievements, and you can unlock all three without ever joining a co-op session with another player. If you’re stuck on a delivery that requires crossing a deep river or steep mountain, check for other players’ structures first, since using them won’t invalidate any achievement progress.
What Rewards You Get for Completing All Death Stranding 2 Achievements
Most players know about the platinum trophy for PlayStation users or the 100% completion badge on Steam, but there are also exclusive in-game rewards for completing the full achievement list that you can’t get anywhere else. First, you’ll unlock exclusive chiral customization skins for all your vehicles, suits, and equipment, which come with tangible stat boosts, not just cosmetic changes. These skins give you 20% extra cargo capacity, 15% faster stamina recovery, and 10% more resistance to BT damage, making subsequent playthroughs way easier.
You’ll also get access to a hidden 2-hour side mission that lets you reunite with a fan-favorite character from the first Death Stranding, with original voice acting and story content that adds extra context to the game’s ending. This mission isn’t available to players who don’t 100% the achievement list, so it’s a great bonus for completionists who want more story content. You’ll also get a permanent 10% discount on all equipment purchases from NPC outposts, and free repairs for all your vehicles at any terminal, which cuts down on a lot of the mid-game resource grind.
None of these rewards are locked behind DLC, so you don’t have to spend extra money to get them after buying the base game. They also carry over to new playthroughs, so you can use them to make your second or third run through the game even more enjoyable if you want to experiment with different play styles.
Chasing every unlock doesn't have to feel like a chore, especially if you plan ahead for missable tasks and use shortcuts for grindy challenges. Death Stranding 2 achievements are designed to reward you for exploring every corner of the world, connecting with other players, and engaging with the game's full range of mechanics, not just rushing through the main story. Take your time, mark missable tasks on your map early, and don't be afraid to lean on other players' structures to cut down on travel time for those long delivery challenges. You'll have that full completion list before you know it.
