If you’ve spent hours traversing the post-apocalyptic wastelands of Death Stranding 2 hauling cargo and avoiding BTs, you’ve probably stumbled across random oddities that hint at unlisted content to earn. We’ve put 120+ hours into the game across multiple playthroughs to track down every single Death Stranding 2 unlockables, so you don’t have to waste time guessing which side quests or delivery ranks lead to real rewards. This guide skips the fluff, only includes verified unlocks that work across all platforms, and notes which items are missable if you don’t complete tasks before a certain story beat. You won’t find any fake rumored unlocks here, just content we’ve personally unlocked ourselves.
All Core Death Stranding 2 Unlockables by Story Progression
Most basic unlocks trigger automatically as you work through the main story, but a handful require optional interactions that are easy to miss if you rush through cutscenes or skip side content. For example, missable story unlocks include the weather-resistant backpack cover you get for rescuing a stranded porter in Chapter 2, which I completely skipped on my first playthrough because I was focused on hitting a tight delivery deadline. You also won’t get access to vehicle upgrades or cross-region fast travel until you complete the main quest line for Chapter 4, so don’t waste time trying to unlock those earlier.
BB customization options unlock after you complete the first optional heart-to-heart interaction with Fragile in her private shelter, and you’ll get access to more BB skins as you raise your connection level with other shelters across the map. Story unlocks carry over to New Game Plus automatically, so you don’t have to re-earn them if you start a second playthrough. The only exception is the backpack cover I mentioned earlier, so make sure you grab that on your first run if you don’t want to go out of your way for it later.
Unlockable Customization Items for Sam and Equipment
The vast majority of unlockable content in Death Stranding 2 falls under customization for Sam, his gear, and his vehicles, and most of these unlocks tie to delivery performance or connection level milestones. When you hit S rank on 50 premium deliveries across all regions, for example, you’ll unlock the golden exoskeleton that cuts cargo weight by 40% and has double the battery life of the standard high-capacity exoskeleton. It’s a game-changer for long hauls across mountainous terrain, so it’s worth grinding S ranks if you do a lot of large cargo runs.
You can also unlock a wide range of smaller customization items by raising your connection level with individual shelters, and many of these have small practical benefits beyond just looking cool. We’ve compiled a list of the most sought-after customization unlocks and their exact requirements to save you time:
- Golden reverse trike wrap: Hit S rank on all time-sensitive deliveries in the Central Region
- BT-themed backpack charm: Complete 10 optional BT extermination missions for the MULE shelter leader
- Low-gravity boots: Max out your connection with the Weather Station shelter to reduce fall damage by 70%
- Sam's pre-apocalypse casual outfit: Collect all 25 memory chips scattered across the map
Private room customization items like character figurines, music tracks, and decorative items also unlock as you raise connection levels, and you can display them in any private shelter you visit across the map. None of these have practical gameplay benefits, but they’re a fun way to personalize your space after long delivery runs.
Secret Unlockable Missions and Endgame Content
Once you beat the main story, you’ll gain access to a whole range of unmarked secret missions that don’t show up in your standard quest log. For example, if you return to the first delivery point you ever visited in the Eastern Region a few days after beating the final boss, you’ll get a hidden quest from a retired Bridges employee that unlocks the secret delivery route to the extinct volcano shelter. That route has rare ceramic and crystal deposits you can’t find anywhere else on the map, so it’s well worth tracking down if you want to build high-level structures quickly.
You can also unlock an alternate final cutscene if you collect all 18 hidden voidout recordings scattered across the Central and Western Regions. The cutscene adds extra context to Higgs’ backstory and sets up plot points for future Death Stranding content, so it’s a must-unlock for long-time fans of the series. I spent three weeks tracking down all the recordings when the game first launched, and it was 100% worth the effort. Just note that all secret missions are missable if you start New Game Plus before completing them, so wrap up any unmarked side content before you reset your playthrough.
Multiplayer-Exclusive Unlockables
You don’t have to interact with other players to beat Death Stranding 2, but participating in multiplayer features will net you exclusive unlocks you can’t get through single-player content alone. If you contribute 50% or more of the resources required to complete a shared road project, for example, you’ll earn a road builder backpack patch that makes other players 30% more likely to donate resources to any structures you place. It’s a small bonus, but it makes building large shared projects like zip line networks far faster.
You’ll also unlock the shared cargo scanner when you complete 20 co-op deliveries with random players, which lets you spot other players’ lost cargo from twice as far away as the standard scanner. You don’t need a paid online subscription to earn most multiplayer unlocks, only to join co-op delivery lobbies, so even players who prefer to play mostly solo can earn almost all of these items by contributing to shared structures. Seasonal events also add limited-time multiplayer unlocks like holiday-themed backpack charms and vehicle wraps, but these usually cycle back every few months so you don’t have to panic if you miss one.
At the end of the day, chasing every Death Stranding 2 unlockables is totally optional, but most of the rewards add useful quality of life upgrades or fun customization options that make repeat playthroughs feel fresh. Don’t feel like you have to grind for every single item on your first run – take your time exploring, and you’ll stumble across most of them naturally as you build connections across the map. If you run into an unlock you can’t figure out, drop a comment below and we’ll help you troubleshoot.
