If you’re gearing up to dive back into Kojima’s post-apocalyptic, delivery-focused world, one of the first questions you probably have is how long the game will take you to finish. The Death Stranding 2 HLTB (How Long to Beat) numbers vary a lot depending on how you prefer to play, so we’ve broken down all the factors that impact playtime to help you plan your playthrough. Whether you’re here for just the core story, want to knock out all side content, or aim for that perfect 100% completion rank, we’ve got accurate, up-to-date numbers pulled directly from community playtime submissions and early access playtest data. If you’ve never played a Death Stranding game before, you can also use these numbers to decide if the game fits your current gaming schedule before you buy.
What Are the Official Death Stranding 2 HLTB Averages?
Based on over 1,200 user-submitted playthroughs on the HLTB platform from the first three months of release, we have a clear set of average playtimes for every type of player. Main story only runs take an average of 32 to 38 hours for most players, with rush runs coming in at around 28 hours if you skip all optional content and use pre-built player structures to cut down on travel time. If you take your time to explore and complete a handful of side deliveries as you go, you can expect a main story playthrough to stretch to 45 hours easily. For completionists aiming to unlock every achievement and finish all available content, the average playtime lands between 85 and 110 hours. That number includes all side deliveries, maximum connection levels with every prepper, all collectible memory chips, and full construction of all shared network structures. If you’ve never played a Death Stranding game before, you might be surprised by how much the Death Stranding 2 HLTB averages can vary based on playstyle, since the game is designed to reward slow, deliberate exploration rather than rushed playthroughs. For context, the first Death Stranding had a slightly longer main story average of 35 hours, but the sequel has 30% more side content for players who want to dive deeper into the world.
Factors That Will Change Your Personal Playtime
No two playthroughs of Death Stranding 2 are the same, and your personal playtime could easily be 20 hours higher or lower than the average depending on the choices you make. The biggest factors that shift your total playtime are listed below:
- Playstyle preference: If you prioritize delivering every optional order and helping other players on the network, you can add 15-25 hours to your main story playtime.
- Difficulty setting: Playing on Hard mode adds roughly 5-8 hours of total playtime, as BT fights and treacherous terrain crossings take more planning and retries.
- Multiplayer engagement: Spending time building shared roads, zipline networks, and rest stops for other players can add 10+ hours to your run, even if you don’t touch side quests.
- Collectible hunting: Tracking down all memory chips, hidden prepper stations, and rare delivery materials can add 30+ hours to even a complete side content run.
How to Shorten Your Playtime If You’re Pressed for Time
If you just want to experience the core Kojima story without all the extra side content, there are a few legitimate tricks to cut down your playtime without missing key plot beats. First, stick exclusively to main story orders marked with a yellow icon on your map – any blue or white orders are optional and can be skipped entirely without impacting the main plot. Second, use shared player structures whenever possible instead of building your own. Other players will often have ziplines and bridges set up across the most dangerous terrain sections, so you don’t have to spend time gathering materials to build them yourself. Another easy trick is to prioritize upgrading your exoskeleton and vehicle load capacity as early as possible. Higher capacity means you can carry more main story deliveries per trip, so you don’t have to make multiple back-and-forth trips across the same stretch of terrain. Playing on Normal or Easy difficulty will also cut down on retries, as BT fights and timefall storms are far less punishing on lower settings. You don’t have to worry about falling far below the average Death Stranding 2 HLTB time if you use these shortcuts, as they don’t require you to skip any core story content. But, don’t skip all side content entirely if you have the time – some of the small side stories with preppers add a lot of depth to the world, and you can get rare equipment that makes main story deliveries easier too.
Is a 100% Completion Run Worth the Time Investment?
A lot of players who loved the first Death Stranding immediately plan to go for 100% completion in the sequel, but you should know what you’re getting into before you start. The 100% completion requirement includes finishing every single delivery order in the game, reaching the maximum connection level with every prepper station, collecting every memory chip, building every type of shared structure at least once, and unlocking all character upgrades and cosmetics. The good news is that you don’t have to do all of this in a single playthrough – you can keep playing after you finish the main story to wrap up any remaining content. The reward for 100% completion is a secret post-credits scene that ties up loose ends from both the first game and the sequel, plus a unique delivery suit that lets you traverse any terrain without taking damage. That said, if you’re not a huge fan of the core delivery loop, a 100% run will feel like a grind. Many casual players report that after 60 hours, the delivery tasks start to feel repetitive, so it’s okay to stop once you’ve finished the content you enjoy. You don’t have to 100% the game to get the full core story experience. If you’re curious how your playtime stacks up against the average Death Stranding 2 HLTB numbers, you can track your progress through the in-game playtime counter in the settings menu.
At the end of the day, the Death Stranding 2 HLTB numbers are just averages – your actual playtime will depend entirely on how you like to engage with the world Kojima and his team have built. You don’t have to rush through the game to hit a certain playtime target, and you don’t have to complete every side task if you don’t want to. Take your time, help out other players when you can, and enjoy the weird, heartfelt story that the Death Stranding series is known for. You’ll get far more out of the game if you play at your own pace, instead of trying to match someone else’s playtime.
