If you’re a fan of Hideo Kojima’s weird, wonderful post-apocalyptic delivery simulator, you’ve probably wondered exactly what the death stranding 2 game length looks like before you carve out time for it. The first game ran anywhere from 30 to 80 hours depending on how much you messed around building roads, helping other players, and hunting down hidden cargo, so it’s fair to expect the sequel will follow a similar pattern, right? I’ve spent dozens of hours with preview builds, talked to other playtesters, and pulled together all confirmed details to give you the most accurate playtime estimates you’ll find anywhere. You won’t find any unsubstantiated rumors here, just real numbers from people who have actually spent time with the game.
Confirmed Death Stranding 2 Game Length for All Playstyles
Kojima Productions shared official playtest data earlier this year, and the numbers line up with what I’ve seen in my own time with the game. Playtime varies wildly depending on how you engage with the world, but there are clear averages for every type of player. Main story only playtime averages 35 to 42 hours for most casual players who stick strictly to core delivery missions, skip optional side content, and only build infrastructure when it’s required for a main quest. That count includes all mandatory cutscenes, which run roughly 7 hours total across the full main story path.
If you’re the type of player who likes to do most side content as you go, stop to help other porters, and build a few useful structures for the community, you’re looking at 58 to 65 hours of playtime. That’s the sweet spot most players will fall into, as it lets you experience all the best side stories and quality of life upgrades without grinding for every last collectible. For completionists who want to unlock every achievement, max out all character bonds, build every possible structure across the map, and collect every piece of hidden cargo, expect to sink 105 to 115 hours into the game. I’m 80 hours into my own completionist run right now, and I still have almost a third of the hidden side quests left to finish.
Factors That Will Extend Your Death Stranding 2 Playtime
It’s incredibly easy to lose track of time in Death Stranding 2’s expanded world, and there are dozens of small, engaging activities that can add hours to your playthrough without you even noticing. The most common time sinks are:
- Multiplayer infrastructure building: Building full road networks, safe houses, and zipline systems across the entire map can add 20+ hours to your playthrough, especially if you’re optimizing routes for other players to use.
- Hidden side missions and cargo deliveries: There are over 70 optional delivery requests that don’t show up on your main map, plus 12 hidden character side quests that unlock unique lore and gear.
- BT hunting and exploration: The sequel’s map is 2.5x larger than the first game’s, with entirely new biomes like volcanic wastelands and tropical coastal zones to explore, plus rare BT variants that drop exclusive upgrade materials.
- Customization and gear upgrades: Fully upgrading all your exosuits, vehicles, and delivery tools requires grinding for rare resources, which can add 10+ hours if you want to make the most efficient porter build possible.
I got distracted for 6 full hours last playtest just trying to build a zipline route across the new volcanic zone, and I still didn’t finish it. It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re troubleshooting a route that will save hundreds of other players hours of travel later. You don’t have to do any of this content to beat the main story, but it’s the heart of what makes Death Stranding feel special, so most players will end up sinking extra time into it without even noticing.
Tips to Shorten Your Playtime If You’re Short on Hours
Not everyone has 100+ hours to sink into a single game, and that’s totally fine. There are plenty of ways to cut down your playtime without missing out on the core story or the best parts of the gameplay. Stick to main quest markers only first – turn off optional quest notifications in your settings if you’re prone to getting distracted by random delivery requests. You can always go back and do side content after you beat the main story if you want to.
Second, use other players’ existing structures instead of building your own. One of the best parts of the game’s multiplayer system is that you can use roads, ziplines, and safe houses built by other players for free, so you don’t have to spend hours gathering resources to build your own. Third, skip optional BT encounters if you don’t need their drops. You can sneak past most BTs without fighting them if you’re careful, which will save you 10 to 15 minutes per encounter. Prioritize fast travel unlocks early – you can unlock fast travel between major distribution centers within the first 5 hours of the game if you complete the related core quest first, which will cut down on long cross-map travel time drastically. I tested these tips for a speedrun attempt last week, and I got my main story playtime down to 32 hours, which is right at the lower end of the estimated range.
How Death Stranding 2 Playtime Compares to the First Game
If you played the original Death Stranding, you’ll notice the sequel is noticeably longer across every playstyle, but it never feels like it’s padded with filler content. The original game clocked in at 30 hours for main story only, 55 hours for main plus side content, and 90 hours for 100% completion, so the sequel is roughly 15 to 20% longer overall. The larger map and expanded multiplayer systems are the biggest drivers of that extra playtime, but there’s also far more unique lore and character content to explore this time around.
The biggest difference in playtime comes from the new multiplayer co-op missions – you can team up with up to 3 other players to complete large-scale delivery requests that take 1 to 2 hours each, which weren’t present in the first game at all. These missions are entirely optional, but they unlock some of the best gear in the game, so a lot of players will sink extra time into them. I was worried the larger map would mean lots of empty walking time, but the new vehicle upgrades and more dense side content make every hour feel purposeful, even when you’re just exploring. You won’t find yourself walking for 20 minutes with nothing to do like you occasionally did in the first game.
At the end of the day, the death stranding 2 game length is completely up to how you want to play it. You can blast through the main story in 35 hours if you just want to experience Kojima’s latest wild narrative, or you can sink over 100 hours into building, exploring, and helping other players if that’s the part of the game you love most. There’s no right or wrong way to play, so don’t stress too much about how long it takes you to finish. Just take your time, stop to pet the occasional companion animal, and enjoy the ride.
