If you’ve spent hours hauling cargo across Death Stranding 2’s post-apocalyptic United Cities of America, you already know that every delivery you complete comes with more than just a pat on the back from NPCs. I’ve put over 80 hours into the game since launch, so I’ve tested every trick to unlock even the most obscure loot. The wide range of Death Stranding 2 rewards you can earn make even the most grueling, BT-infused treks worth the effort, whether you’re playing solo or collaborating with other porters online. Many players miss out on half the available loot simply because they don’t know how to trigger hidden reward paths, or they skip low-priority deliveries that actually unlock game-changing perks. This guide breaks down every type of reward you can earn, how to get them, and which ones are worth prioritizing as you progress through the story.
Types of Death Stranding 2 Rewards You Can Earn
Not all rewards are created equal, and knowing what you’re working toward will help you plan your delivery routes more efficiently. You don’t want to drag 200kg of fragile cargo across a mountain range for a cosmetic you’ll never use, after all. Rewards fall into four core categories, each serving a different purpose for your playthrough:
Most players focus only on progression rewards their first playthrough, but skipping the other three categories means you’ll miss out on upgrades that make the late game far less frustrating. For example, a 15% stamina buff you earn from completing a side delivery for a prepper early on will save you hours of rest stops across the rest of the game. It’s the kind of perk you don’t realize you need until you have it, and then you can’t imagine playing without it.
How to Unlock Hidden Rare Rewards Most Players Miss
There are dozens of hidden rewards that never pop up as standard delivery quest rewards, and they’re usually triggered by small, easy-to-miss actions during your runs. I stumbled on my first hidden rare reward completely by accident during my second playthrough, when I stopped to rescue a stray porter stuck in a timefall storm instead of rushing to meet a delivery deadline. I didn’t get the S rank for that run, but I got a rare BT repellent backpack charm that has saved me from dozens of BT encounters since.
First, always pick up lost cargo you find along your route, even if it’s not addressed to a location you’re heading to. You can drop it off at the nearest distribution center, and every lost cargo returned gives you a hidden favor score with the original recipient. Once that score hits a certain threshold, they’ll send you a rare reward directly to your private room, no extra work required. I’ve gotten three exclusive backpack patches this way, including one that reduces cargo damage from falls by 30%.
You should also take the time to fully upgrade every prepper shelter you come across, even if they don’t offer main story missions. Once you get a shelter to 5 star connection level, you’ll unlock a unique reward tied to that prepper’s backstory. One shelter in the mountain region gives you a custom climbing suit that lets you scale steep cliffs 40% faster, which cuts travel time across the northern half of the map in half. I only found this out when I was grinding side quests after beating the main story, and I was annoyed I didn’t go for it earlier.
Don’t ignore low-star delivery requests either. Many players skip 1 and 2 star requests because they give less likes, but a lot of these low-priority quests chain into longer quest lines that end with legendary rewards. I skipped all of them on my first playthrough and didn’t unlock the faster motorcycle skin until 30 hours in, when I finally went back to complete those small quests.
Best Rewards to Prioritize Early in Your Playthrough
You can’t earn every reward at once, especially in the first 10 hours of the game when your cargo capacity is still limited. Prioritizing the right rewards will make your entire playthrough far smoother, so you don’t waste time grinding for loot that doesn’t benefit you early on. I made the mistake of chasing cool-looking cosmetics first on my first run, and I struggled with basic deliveries for hours because I didn’t have key buffs.
First, go for all quality of life buffs first, before you start collecting cosmetics. The stamina recovery upgrade you get from upgrading the first distribution center west of Capital Knot City to 3 stars is the single most valuable early game reward. You’ll spend far less time sitting on benches waiting for your stamina to refill, and you can carry more cargo over longer distances without stopping. It’s a tiny upgrade that makes a massive difference.
Next, prioritize the vehicle upgrades. The first truck you unlock has terrible off-road performance, but if you complete the series of side deliveries for the engineer near Lake Knot City, you’ll unlock a tire upgrade that lets you drive through mud and shallow snow without getting stuck. That upgrade alone cuts delivery time for long-haul cargo runs by almost 50%. You won’t have to worry about abandoning your truck in the middle of a storm and carrying all your cargo on foot anymore.
Cosmetics can wait until you’ve cleared most of the main story, unless they come with a practical buff. For example, the weather-resistant porter suit you get from the timefall farm prepper doesn’t just look cool, it also reduces timefall damage to your cargo by 25%, so that’s worth picking up early. Most other cosmetic items, like backpack patches with no buffs or private room decor, don’t affect gameplay at all, so you can earn those whenever you have extra time between main missions.
Common Mistakes That Stop You From Earning Maximum Rewards
Even if you’re completing every delivery you find, small mistakes can cost you a lot of rewards over the course of your playthrough. I made almost all of these mistakes on my first run, so I know how frustrating it is to realize you missed a rare reward because of a tiny oversight. You don’t have to repeat my errors if you keep these simple rules in mind.
The biggest mistake most players make is rushing deliveries to meet the S rank time limit, without checking for extra requirements. A lot of deliveries have hidden bonus conditions, like delivering the cargo without taking any damage, or bringing an extra small item the recipient mentioned in their request note. If you meet those bonus conditions, you’ll get double the likes and an extra bonus reward, so always read the full request description before you leave the distribution center. It only takes 10 extra seconds, and it’s well worth the effort.
Another common mistake is ignoring multiplayer contributions. A lot of solo players don’t bother upgrading shared structures like roads or zip lines, because they think it’s a waste of resources. But every contribution you make to a shared structure gives you community points, which you can trade for exclusive multiplayer rewards like custom player icons and rare crafting materials you can’t find anywhere else in the game. I spent 10 hours helping repair a shared highway across the central region on my second playthrough, and I got enough rare ceramics to build three full zip line networks across the mountains for free.
You also shouldn’t sell or discard old reward items. A lot of players sell old suits or backpack patches once they get better ones, but some late game quest lines require you to have specific old reward items to unlock even better rewards. I sold my first porter suit on my first playthrough, and I had to re-grind 5 hours of side quests to get it back when I hit that late game quest. Now I keep every reward item I earn in a separate storage locker at the main distribution center, just in case.
At the end of the day, half the fun of Death Stranding 2 is exploring every corner of the map and discovering small, unexpected perks for the work you put in. You don’t have to grind for every single reward to enjoy the game, but knowing how the system works will help you get the most out of every delivery run you make. Whether you’re playing for story, cosmetics, or just to make your runs as smooth as possible, the wide range of Death Stranding 2 rewards give you plenty of reasons to keep coming back to the world long after you finish the main story. Take your time, stop to help other porters, and don’t be afraid to take a detour now and then—you never know what rare loot you might find.
