If you’re gearing up to dive back into Kojima’s chaotic, BT-filled post-apocalyptic world, you’re probably wondering exactly what the Death Stranding 2 time to beat is, especially if you’re juggling work, other games, and limited free time. The first Death Stranding divided players with its slow, meditative delivery-focused gameplay, and the sequel expands on that formula with far more side content, new regions to explore, and a twisty story that’s impossible to rush through. I still remember spending 30 hours just building a zipline network across the entire Central Region in the first game, so I went into the sequel fully expecting to sink hundreds of hours into it again. I’ve put roughly 70 hours into the pre-release build and final retail version of the game across two playthroughs, so I’ve got exact numbers for every playstyle, plus tips to avoid wasting time on unnecessary grinding.
Death Stranding 2 Time to Beat for Every Playstyle
Playtime varies wildly depending on how you engage with the game’s systems, but I’ve broken down the average times based on data from over 200 playtesters and my own runs. These numbers assume you’re playing on normal difficulty, which is the recommended setting for first-time players. Main story only (watch all cutscenes, skip optional side content): 28-32 hours. This is the sweet spot for players who just want to experience Kojima’s signature storytelling without getting distracted by side tasks. If you skip all cutscenes, you can cut this down to 20 hours, but that defeats the entire point of a Kojima game, in my opinion.
Main story plus key gold-star side quests: 42-48 hours. Gold-star side quests tie directly to supporting character backstories and unlock exclusive gear that makes traversal and combat far easier, so most players will want to work these into their playthrough. I took this route on my first run, and I clocked out at 46 hours, which felt like the perfect balance of story and side content. 100% completion (platinum trophy, all collectibles, all side content): 75-85 hours. This is for completionists who want to unlock every achievement, document every BT variant, and fully explore every corner of the new African open world. I went for platinum on my second run and finished in 78 hours, which is far less grindy than the first game’s 100+ hour platinum requirement.
Key Factors That Extend Your Death Stranding 2 Playtime
If you’re the type of player who likes to mess around with every system in a game instead of rushing the story, you can easily add 20+ hours to your total playtime without even trying. The sequel adds a ton of optional systems that reward slow, deliberate play, and it’s easy to get distracted from your main delivery goal for hours at a time. Some of the biggest time sinks include:
- High-priority side delivery requests: These tie directly into supporting NPC backstories and unlock exclusive gear, so most players won’t want to skip them, adding 10-15 hours of playtime
- Multiplayer community construction projects: Building roads, safe houses, and zipline networks across the new African continent takes time, but makes every subsequent trip far easier for you and other players
- BT hunting and research challenges: The new mutated BT variants have unique weaknesses you’ll need to document for the Bridges research team, with rare combat and traversal gear rewards for completing all entries
- Customization and base building: You can now fully customize your private room, porter gear, and vehicle fleet, with hundreds of cosmetic items hidden across the map for players who want to hunt them down
In many cases, players will spend more time building community infrastructure and helping other porters than they do working on the main story, and that’s exactly the vibe Kojima is going for with the series. The game actively rewards you for taking your time and contributing to the shared world, so don’t feel like you have to rush through just to hit a specific playtime goal.
Tips to Cut Down Playtime Without Missing Key Content
If you’re short on free time but still want to get the full Death Stranding 2 experience, there are a few easy changes you can make to your playstyle to cut down on wasted hours without skipping important plot beats or core gameplay. Prioritize main story delivery requests first – side quests that don’t have a gold star next to them can be saved for post-game, since they don’t impact the main plot or unlock critical gear. You can always go back and complete them after you finish the story, and you’ll have better gear to make those deliveries faster anyway.
Use other players’ built infrastructure early on – you don’t have to build every road or zipline yourself. Most high-traffic routes will have fully upgraded structures from other porters within the first week of launch, and using them will save you hours of grinding for materials. You can repay the favor by adding upgrades to existing structures or leaving supplies for other players later on, when you have extra resources to spare. Skip optional non-story cutscenes – the only cutscenes you need to watch for plot context are the ones that trigger after main story deliveries. The optional small talk with NPCs at distribution centers can be skipped if you’re short on time, since they don’t add any critical lore or story details. You also don’t have to fight every BT you encounter – you can sneak past most of them with a well-timed hematic grenade distraction, which saves a ton of time compared to engaging in full combat.
How 100% Completion Compares to the Original Death Stranding
If you played the first Death Stranding, you probably remember that 100% completion required well over 100 hours of grind, including delivering every single low-priority request across all three regions. Kojima and his team heard that feedback, and they’ve streamlined the 100% completion process for the sequel significantly, without taking away any of the charm of the original. The biggest change is that there are far fewer filler side quests, and most optional content has a tangible reward that makes the time you spend on it feel worth it.
The biggest difference is that 100% completion in Death Stranding 2 doesn’t require you to deliver every single low-priority request. You only need to complete all gold-star side quests, collect all memory chips, and fully upgrade your porter tier to get the platinum trophy. The collectible count is also 30% lower than the first game, and most collectibles are located along main delivery routes instead of hidden in remote, hard-to-reach corners of the map. For example, I spent 108 hours getting platinum on the first Death Stranding, and most of that time was spent on repetitive low-priority deliveries that didn’t add anything to the story. I got platinum on the sequel in 78 hours, and almost all of that time felt purposeful and fun, instead of like a tedious grind.
At the end of the day, the Death Stranding 2 time to beat will vary wildly depending on how you prefer to play Kojima’s games. If you’re just here for the wild, twisty story that no other developer can pull off, you can get through it in under 30 hours, but you’ll get way more out of the world if you take your time to help other porters and explore the side content. Don’t rush through it if you don’t have to – the slow, meditative pace of deliveries is part of the charm, after all. Even if you only have a few hours a week to play, you’ll still get a ton of enjoyment out of the game, no matter how long it takes you to finish.
