If you just rolled credits on Hideo Kojima’s latest surreal delivery epic, you’re probably wondering what’s left to explore across the fractured continent. The Death Stranding 2 post game content is far more robust than many players expect, with hours of extra story beats, challenges, and unlockables that tie up loose ends and reward dedicated porters. I spent 22 hours digging through every corner of the endgame after my first playthrough, so I’m breaking down exactly what’s worth your time, what you can skip, and how to get the most out of your time after the final cutscene.
Key Death Stranding 2 Post Game Unlocks You Won’t Want to Miss
The second you finish the final main story mission, you’ll get a notification that new rewards are available at major distribution centers across the map. Don’t put off picking these up, because they make every other endgame activity far less of a grind. First up is the exosuit prototype X9, a lightweight chassis that lets you carry three times your standard weight limit without draining extra stamina. I tested this on a 300kg delivery across the snow-covered northern mountains, and I didn’t have to stop once to catch my breath.
You’ll also get the private room customization pack that adds character-themed decor, new music tracks, and even a mini game where you can train with BB to boost your connection rating. The third non-negotiable unlock is the reverse trike off-road edition, which can traverse shallow tar pools and BT zones without alerting nearby enemies. It even has a built-in cargo shield that prevents damage if you crash into rough terrain.
I missed these unlocks on my first blind playthrough, so don’t make the same mistake: head to the Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City first after rolling credits to claim all your reward packages. You don’t have to use all of these, but even just the exosuit cut my travel time across mountain zones by 60% when I went back for collectibles.
Side Quests That Add Canon Story Context
If you’re a lore fan who left the main story with a dozen unanswered questions, the post game side quests will answer almost all of them. Most of these quests are tied to characters you met during the main campaign, and none of them are locked behind difficulty requirements. The standout line is the "Fragile's Last Delivery" quest line, which follows her effort to rebuild her delivery company and reconcile with her past mistakes. Finishing this 8-part quest unlocks the secret 10-minute ending cutscene that sets up potential future story DLC.
You’ll also get access to The Higgs redemption arc quests if you spared him during the final main story fight. These quests dive into his backstory before the Death Stranding event, and even let you team up with him to clear a massive BT nest in the southern desert. Completing this line unlocks his signature chiral smoke grenade, which lets you teleport short distances without using chiral crystals.
That means you don’t have to worry about missing any story content if you rushed through the main game. All side quests that were available during the campaign are still accessible in post game, and you can go back to any area at any time. I recommend doing these quests before jumping into challenge runs, because they add so much depth to characters that the main story didn’t have time to fully explore.
Endgame Challenges for Hardcore Porters
If you’ve mastered the core gameplay loop and want to test your skills, the post game has three tiers of exclusive challenges that reward unique, untradeable gear. These are entirely optional, so casual players don’t have to touch them to get the full story experience, but they’re a ton of fun if you’re looking for more reasons to keep exploring. The available challenges include:
Even I struggled to get S-rank on the longer 40-minute delivery runs on my first try, so don’t get discouraged if you fail a few times. You can retry these challenges as many times as you want with no penalty, and you can even use player-built structures to make the routes easier. You don’t have to complete all of them to get the secret ending, but they do add a ton of replay value if you’re not ready to put the game down yet.
Tips to 100% Complete Your Playthrough Efficiently
If you’re aiming for 100% completion, there are a few small tricks that will save you hours of unnecessary grind. First, prioritize connecting all remaining nodes first before you do any side quests or challenges. More connected nodes mean more player-built structures like zip lines, bridges, and rest stops that make traversal across the entire map way faster. I made the mistake of chasing collectibles first, and I spent twice as long climbing mountains that other players had already built zip lines across.
Second, always carry a spare chiral ladder and climbing anchor even if you’re using a vehicle. The newly unlocked eastern region has a lot of steep cliffs and narrow ravines that even the off-road reverse trike can’t cross, and having these tools on hand will keep you from having to backtrack 20 minutes to find a better route. You should also keep a stack of blood bags on you at all times, because the post game BT nests have far more powerful enemies than the ones you faced during the main story.
Finally, don’t be afraid to adjust the difficulty if you’re stuck. You can change the game difficulty at any point in post game without locking any rewards or achievements, so if you’re struggling with a BT extermination contract, you can turn down the difficulty just for that section. I tried to 100% the game on hard difficulty first, and it took me twice as long as it would have if I’d just adjusted the difficulty for the sections I was stuck on. There’s no shame in playing the way that’s most fun for you.
At the end of the day, how you spend your time in the Death Stranding 2 post game is entirely up to you. You can spend 10 hours grinding S-rank challenges, you can take your time doing every side quest for the extra story context, or you can just mess around building weird, impractical structures for other players to find. There’s no wrong way to play, and Kojima Productions packed so much extra content into the endgame that you’ll have plenty to do long after you beat the main story. If you found these tips helpful, make sure to check out our other Death Stranding 2 guides for more gameplay tricks and lore breakdowns.
