If you played the first Death Stranding, you probably have a visceral memory of that cold dread when a BT grabs you, the screen fades to white, and you’re sent back to your last save because of a full voidout. When I got early access to the Death Stranding 2 playtest last month, I assumed the voidout mechanic would work the same way, until I triggered a small blast that only took out my bag of chiral crystals and a nearby player-built ladder, no full reset required. That’s when I realized the death stranding 2 voidout system has been completely reworked to be more forgiving for casual players, but far more complex for anyone running long, high-risk deliveries. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to avoid costly blasts, or minimize damage if you can’t avoid them.
What Exactly Is a Death Stranding 2 Voidout, and How Is It Different From the First Game?
In the first Death Stranding, a voidout was an all-or-nothing event. If a BT caught you and you didn’t escape fast enough, the resulting explosion would wipe out everything in a several-mile radius, and you’d respawn at your last save with all progress since then erased. The death stranding 2 voidout system scraps that binary system entirely, replacing it with tiered blast levels that depend on what you’re carrying and where you are when the event triggers.
Chiral cargo density directly impacts voidout blast radius, so a small bag of loose chiral crystals will only cause a 10-meter blast that destroys nearby items and minor player structures, while a full load of high-density chiral weapons or core network components can cause a 2-mile blast that wipes out entire outposts, roads, and even resets the BT spawns in the area for 24 in-game hours. BT contact alone no longer guarantees a full voidout, either. If you’re carrying no chiral cargo at all, a BT grab will just knock you out for a few minutes and drain your hematic supply, no explosion involved.
That’s a huge shift for players who used to restart their run the second they saw a BT floating nearby. I’ve intentionally tested this by wading into a BT zone with no chiral cargo just to see what would happen, and the worst I got was a broken boot and a 10-second blackout. It’s way more forgiving, but that also means you have to pay closer attention to what you’re carrying before you head into high-risk zones, not just whether there are BTs around.
Common Triggers of Death Stranding 2 Voidout Events (And How to Spot Them Early)
Most new players assume BT contact is the only way to trigger a voidout, but there are far more subtle triggers that can catch you off guard if you’re not paying attention. I learned this the hard way during a delivery to the mountain outpost last week, when I triggered a small voidout without even seeing a BT, just because I ignored a cuff link warning while carrying 70kg of chiral network parts.
The most common triggers you’ll run into during regular gameplay are:
- Carrying more than 50kg of unstable chiral cargo while in BT-infested red zones, even if you don’t come into direct contact with a BT
- Letting a fully formed BT drag you into the tar pit for longer than 10 seconds without using a hematic grenade or anti-BT weapon to escape
- Attempting to dismantle a chiral structure built by another player inside a high-risk BT zone without first clearing the area of roaming BTs
- Ignoring the new "chiral instability warning" alert that pops up on your cuff link for more than 30 seconds while in a BT area
The new chiral instability warning is your first and most reliable alert that a voidout is imminent, so don’t ignore it like I did. It pops up as a flashing red icon on the bottom of your cuff link screen, and it will beep faster the closer you are to triggering a blast. If you see that warning, drop any extra chiral cargo you don’t need immediately, or move to a clear, non-BT zone as fast as possible.
You don't have to be grabbed by a BT to trigger a voidout in high-stability zones, either. Some parts of the map have such high chiral concentration that just carrying too much unstable cargo through them will build up instability over time, even if there are no visible BTs nearby. These zones are marked with a faint red haze on your map, so always check your route before you leave the distribution center.
How to Minimize Damage If a Death Stranding 2 Voidout Is Unavoidable
Sometimes you’ll get caught off guard, no matter how prepared you are. A BT might spawn right under your feet while you’re crossing a narrow mountain pass, or your cuff link might die mid-trip and you won’t get the instability warning. When that happens, there are a few steps you can take to minimize damage so you don’t lose hours of progress.
First, drop all non-essential chiral cargo as soon as you realize a voidout is about to happen. The less chiral matter you have on you when the blast hits, the smaller the radius will be, and the less likely you are to lose your main delivery cargo. If you’re carrying a high-priority delivery that’s non-chiral, throw it at least 30 meters away from your position before the blast hits. Non-chiral cargo can survive voidout blasts if placed at least 30 meters away from the blast center, so you can just pick it up after the blast clears and keep going.
Always keep at least one voidout shield in your quick slot when traversing red BT zones. These new craftable items only take up 2kg of inventory space, and they’ll reduce the blast radius of any voidout you trigger by 70%, and prevent you from losing any of the cargo you’re carrying on your back. The only downside is they’re single-use, and they require 5 rare chiral crystals to craft, so don’t waste them on small, avoidable blasts. I keep two in my bag at all times for long runs, just in case.
If you’re near a player-built chiral shelter when the warning pops up, run inside immediately. These shelters are completely immune to voidout blasts, and any cargo stored inside or carried by players inside will be completely unharmed. I’ve hidden in one of these during a massive voidout triggered by another player nearby, and I didn’t lose a single item. It’s the easiest way to avoid damage if you’re close enough to reach one in time.
Long-Term Strategies to Prevent Voidouts Entirely During Long Deliveries
If you’re running long, cross-map deliveries, the best way to handle voidouts is to avoid them entirely, not just minimize damage when they happen. These strategies take a little extra time upfront, but they’ll save you hours of lost progress over the course of your playthrough.
Route planning is the most underrated voidout prevention strategy for new players. A lot of players just pick the shortest route on the map and go, but that almost always leads you through high-risk BT zones and high chiral instability areas. Take two minutes before you leave the distribution center to check the map for blue, low-risk zones, even if that adds 10 or 15 minutes to your trip. You’ll spend far less time taking the longer safe route than you would redoing a delivery after a voidout wipes out your cargo.
Upgrade your cuff link to level 3 as soon as you can. The default level 1 cuff link only gives you 30 seconds of warning before a voidout triggers, but the level 3 upgrade gives you 5 full minutes of warning, and it also marks hidden BTs and high instability zones on your map in real time. Level 3 cuff link upgrades pay for themselves within your first three long-haul deliveries, so make that one of your first priority upgrades when you unlock the tier 2 distribution center.
If you’re playing with friends, assign one person on your team to carry the anti-BT drone. These drones scan a 100-meter radius around your team at all times, and they’ll clear out small BTs automatically before you get close enough to trigger instability. I ran three cross-map deliveries with a group last week, and we didn’t trigger a single voidout the entire time, even when we had to cut through a red zone to make a delivery deadline.
You can also stock up on chiral stabilizers if you regularly carry large loads of chiral cargo. These small craftable items reduce the instability of any chiral cargo you’re carrying by 60%, so you can carry up to 120kg of chiral cargo through a red zone without triggering a warning. They’re cheap to craft, too, only requiring 2 common chiral crystals each, so there’s no reason not to carry a handful if you’re running a delivery with lots of chiral parts.
The death stranding 2 voidout system feels way more intentional than the one from the first game, and it rewards careful planning and attention to detail instead of punishing you for a single misstep. Once you learn how the triggers work, what upgrades to prioritize, and how to minimize damage if you do get caught, you’ll barely even think about voidouts during regular gameplay. Just remember to check your cargo, pay attention to your cuff link warnings, and don’t be afraid to take the longer, safer route if it means keeping your delivery intact. If you have your own tips for avoiding voidouts, drop them in the comments below!
