If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to haul 300 units of chiral crystals across a muddy, BT-infested valley, you know how game-changing a good exoskeleton can be. The Inventor is one of Death Stranding 2’s most valuable hidden NPCs, offering upgrades that cut travel time, boost cargo capacity, and reduce your risk of BT attacks by half. I spent three hours wandering the western region on my first playthrough before I stumbled on the right path, so I put together this guide to save you the frustration of missing out on his upgrades for half the game. Figuring out death stranding 2 how to get to the inventor is one of the most impactful early-game moves you can make, and it’s far simpler than most players realize.
What Prerequisites Do I Need to Get to the Inventor in Death Stranding 2?
You don’t have to grind through dozens of side quests or finish the entire first act to unlock access to the Inventor, despite what many online forum posts claim. The only mandatory main quest you need to complete is the “Deliver Medical Supplies to Central Knot City” mission, which unlocks the western region travel permit from Fragile Express. Once you have that permit, you can head to his bunker whenever you want, though there are a few recommended items you should grab first to make the trip smoother. You don't need to finish the first act completely to make this trip, so you can unlock his upgrades as soon as 8 hours into your playthrough if you follow the main path quickly.
It’s also highly recommended that you reach level 1 bond with the Fragile Express representative at Central Knot City before you leave. She will give you a free temporary fog repellent spray that cuts through the timefall fog blocking the entrance to his region, so you won’t have to waste chiral crystals to clear it. You should also make sure you have a level 2 reverse trike for the trip, as the terrain in the western region is far rockier than the eastern starting zone, and a standard trike will break down halfway through the route.
Step-by-Step Route to the Inventor’s Hidden Bunker
The trip from Central Knot City to the Inventor’s bunker takes roughly 45 minutes if you stick to the path, and you won’t run into any high-level BTs if you plan your route correctly. Start by heading west out of Central Knot City’s main gate, and follow the paved river road north for 2.7 kilometers until you reach the abandoned distribution center marked on your map. That distribution center is your last chance to refill supplies before you enter the restricted western region, so take two minutes to top up your inventory before you move on.
From the abandoned distribution center, turn directly west towards the chiral peak range. You will see a thick, glowing grey fog wall roughly 2 kilometers from the distribution center. Use your chiral scanner to find the thin spot in the fog wall before you try to cross it. If you try to go through any other section, you will get hit with 10 minutes of heavy timefall that will destroy all your cargo and damage your vehicle beyond repair before you even make it through. If you picked up the fog repellent from Fragile, you can spray it right before you cross to avoid any timefall damage entirely.
Once you are through the fog wall, you will see faint glowing blue chiral traces left by other porters on the ground. Follow those traces exactly, as they wind around hidden sinkholes and low-level BT zones to lead directly to the Inventor’s bunker, which is built into the side of the second tallest mountain in the range. Before you start the final climb up to the bunker entrance, make sure you have the following supplies on hand to avoid backtracking:
The bunker entrance is hidden behind a large chiral crystal formation at the top of the slope. Scan the rock face when you reach the top, and you will see a small keypad hidden behind the crystals. Interact with the keypad, and the bunker door will open automatically, no code required.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling to the Inventor
Most players run into trouble on this trip because they try to take shortcuts that end up wasting far more time than they save. The most common mistake is trying to go around the fog wall by taking the northern mountain pass. That pass is full of high-level lion BTs that can one-shot you even with a full suit of armor, and there are no porter paths or player structures to help you navigate it. It’s not worth the risk, even if you think it will cut 10 minutes off your travel time.
Never leave the marked porter path once you pass the fog wall. The surrounding area is full of hidden chiral sinkholes that will swallow you and all your cargo instantly if you step on them, and you won’t be able to see them unless you are actively scanning every step you take. The porter path is completely clear of sinkholes, so sticking to it cuts your risk of losing all your progress to zero.
Another common mistake is bringing extra cargo you don’t need for the trip. The extra weight will slow you down, make you more vulnerable to BT attacks, and increase your battery usage on the final climb. Only bring the supplies we listed earlier, and leave all other delivery cargo at Central Knot City until you return. Always check the weather forecast at Central Knot City before you leave, as well. If a timefall storm is predicted for the western region in the next two hours, wait it out. The fog wall becomes completely impenetrable during storms, and your scanner won’t work, so you will get lost immediately if you try to go out.
What Rewards Do You Get for Finding the Inventor?
All the hassle of the trip is more than worth it for the upgrades you get from the Inventor, even very early in the game. When you first meet him, he will give you the prototype lightweight exoskeleton as a welcome gift. This exoskeleton lets you carry 50% more cargo without using any extra battery power, which is a complete game-changer for long cross-country delivery runs. I used this exoskeleton for almost 20 hours after I unlocked it, even when I had access to higher-level exoskeletons, because the low battery usage made it far more practical for long trips.
As you complete delivery quests for the Inventor and level up your bond with him, he will unlock even more valuable upgrades. At level 2 bond, you get the blueprint for the portable chiral printer, which lets you craft items like ladders, climbing anchors, and repair sprays anywhere in the world, no need to visit a distribution center. At level 3 bond, he gives you the blueprint for the BT repellent drone, which automatically scares off low-level BTs without you having to use blood bags or waste ammo on them. Most of the late-game crafting recipes for high-level vehicles and gear are also only available from the Inventor, so unlocking him early lets you access those upgrades 10 to 15 hours earlier than if you wait until the end of act 2 to visit him.
If you play with multiplayer enabled, you can also share the Inventor’s upgrades with other players by building structures using his blueprints near popular porter paths. A lot of players leave portable printers and exoskeleton charging stations near BT zones, which makes the game far easier for new players just starting their journey.
Figuring out death stranding 2 how to get to the inventor doesn’t have to be a frustrating, time-consuming process if you follow the steps we laid out. Take 10 minutes to pack the right supplies, check the weather, and follow the marked porter path, and you’ll be walking away with some of the best upgrades in the game in under an hour. If you hit any snags along the way, like missing the fog wall thin spot or running into unexpected BTs, drop a comment below and I’ll help you troubleshoot the issue.
