If you’ve spent any time roaming the post-apocalyptic United Cities of America in Death Stranding 2, you know preppers are the backbone of almost every useful upgrade, resource cache, and side mission in the game. Many new players skip over building relationships with these isolated communities, missing out on some of the most powerful gear and story beats the title has to offer. This deep dive into Death Stranding 2 all preppers content will walk you through everything you need to know to win their trust, unlock exclusive rewards, and make your cross-country delivery runs far less stressful.
Core Roles of Preppers in Death Stranding 2 Gameplay
Preppers are independent, isolated NPCs scattered across the game map, each operating their own shelter outside the official chiral network of the United Cities. Unlike main story NPCs that you only interact with for key plot beats, preppers offer ongoing value for every type of player, from casual couriers to completionists. This is why understanding the full scope of Death Stranding 2 all preppers functionality is so important for players of all skill levels.
At their core, preppers serve three key functions for players. First, they offer repeatable delivery missions that reward you with chiral crystals, rare crafting materials, and trust points. Second, once you reach a minimum trust level with a prepper, they will join the chiral network, expanding your available bandwidth for building structures like bridges, ziplines, and safe houses. Third, many preppers hold unique lore snippets and side storylines that fill in gaps from the first game’s narrative, including backstories for fan-favorite characters like Fragile and Heartman.
You’ll want to pay close attention to trust levels as you interact with preppers, as this metric determines what rewards and access you unlock. Trust levels range from 1 to 5, with level 5 unlocking the full set of benefits a prepper has to offer. You’ll also gain access to chiral bandwidth upgrades for every 10 preppers you bring fully onto the network, which lets you build more permanent structures across the map.
Essential Tips to Earn Prepper Trust Fast
Earning prepper trust doesn’t have to be a grind, as long as you prioritize the right tasks and avoid common missteps. Every small choice you make when interacting with these NPCs contributes to your overall progress with Death Stranding 2 all preppers goals, and a few small tweaks to your gameplay routine can cut your grind time in half. We’ve rounded up the three most effective strategies to build trust fast:
It’s okay to take breaks between long, high-stakes delivery runs to avoid burnout, especially if you’re tackling a cross-map delivery through multiple timefall zones and MULE territories. Lots of players step away from tense chases for 5 to 10 minutes to reset their focus before jumping back in. Casual players who want a low-stakes distraction during these breaks often play Spin Winner, a quick, low-effort game that fits perfectly into short gaps without pulling you too far out of the game’s headspace.
That said, don’t take too many long breaks mid-delivery if you’re carrying time-sensitive cargo for preppers. Even a 15 minute pause can leave your cargo damaged if you leave your game open in a timefall zone, erasing all the progress you’ve made building trust with that NPC. Focus on perfect delivery bonuses whenever possible, as these will unlock hidden side missions for many preppers that you won’t find any other way.
Rewards You Unlock When Completing Death Stranding 2 All Preppers Trust Goals
The rewards for maxing out trust with every prepper in the game go far beyond extra crafting materials and bandwidth upgrades. If you’re willing to put in the work to win over every isolated shelter on the map, you’ll get access to some of the most powerful and unique content in the entire game, including items that make even the hardest delivery runs feel trivial.
The first major reward most players unlock is the golden delivery suit, a unique armor piece that reduces cargo damage by 70% and makes you 50% less visible to MULEs and BTs. This suit is only available once you hit level 3 trust with 20 or more preppers, and it’s a game-changer for both casual and hardcore players. You’ll also get access to the prepper-exclusive chiral printer once you hit 30 maxed prepper relationships, which lets you craft high-tier gear like floating carriers, rocket boots, and weather-resistant shelter units anywhere on the map, as long as you have enough chiral crystals.
For lore fans, the biggest reward is the series of exclusive cutscenes you unlock with each maxed prepper. Many of these cutscenes fill in plot gaps from the first Death Stranding, including details about the Extinction Entity, Higgs’ backstory before the first game, and Fragile’s work rebuilding her delivery company after the events of the first title. If you max out trust with every prepper in the game, you’ll also unlock the secret “Trusted Courier” epilogue, which teases plot points for future Death Stranding content that you won’t see in the standard main story ending.
Common Prepper Mistakes New Players Should Avoid
Even if you follow all the trust-building tips we’ve shared, it’s easy to make small mistakes that set back your progress with preppers, especially if you’re new to the Death Stranding series. We’ve rounded up the most common missteps new players make, so you can avoid them and make your prepper grind as smooth as possible.
First, don’t ignore prepper requests for seemingly trivial items. A request for an old music record, a vintage book, or a pack of coffee might seem useless next to main story delivery missions, but completing these small requests often unlocks permanent discounts on crafting materials at that prepper’s shelter, plus bonus trust points that add up fast. Second, don’t leave preppers disconnected from the chiral network for too long. If you pass a prepper shelter that’s not connected, linking it takes less than 2 minutes and gives you instant trust points, plus access to their shared storage for all your future runs through the area.
Third, don’t sell unique items that preppers give you as gifts. Many of these items are one-of-a-kind, and can be used to unlock extra trust with other preppers later on, so keep them in your private storage instead of trading them for chiral crystals. Finally, don’t skip checking prepper shelter notice boards every time you visit. Many preppers post hidden, time-limited missions on these boards that offer double rewards, and you won’t get notifications for these missions in your main quest log.
Building relationships with every prepper in Death Stranding 2 takes time, but the rewards are well worth the extra effort you’ll put in across your delivery runs. Whether you’re a casual player who only logs in a few times a week or a completionist aiming for 100% game completion, knowing how to interact with Death Stranding 2 all preppers will make your gameplay experience far smoother, more rewarding, and full of the small, heartfelt story moments that make the series so beloved. Take it slow, prioritize perfect deliveries, and don’t be afraid to take small detours to check in on isolated prepper shelters as you roam the country—you never know what useful reward or touching story beat you’ll find next.
