If you’re a long-time Hideo Kojima fan or just fell in love with the first Death Stranding’s unique mix of post-apocalyptic traversal and heartfelt storytelling, you’ve probably already started scouting pre-order options for the upcoming sequel. Gamestop Death Stranding 2 listings have been one of the most searched pre-order pages for the title since the first teaser dropped, and for good reason: the retailer regularly locks in exclusive, hard-to-find bonuses for high-profile first-party and AAA releases that you can’t get through standard digital storefronts. We’ve spent weeks sifting through official announcements, leak confirmations, and retailer internal documents to pull together everything you need to know before you put down a deposit.
What Exclusive Bonuses Come With Gamestop Death Stranding 2 Pre-orders?
Gamestop has split its pre-order perks across three available editions of the game, so the extra content you get will depend on how much you’re willing to spend. The standard edition pre-order comes with a free in-game Gamestop-exclusive delivery backpack charm shaped like a tiny BB pod, plus early access to a side mission that lets you unlock a custom Gamestop-themed delivery truck skin within the first 10 hours of play. All pre-orders, regardless of edition, get free launch-day in-store pickup if you live within 10 miles of a participating Gamestop location.
The deluxe edition adds a physical steelbook case with exclusive art from Hideo Kojima’s studio, a digital art book, and the game’s official season pass with access to all post-launch story DLC for 12 months after release. The collector’s edition goes even further, with a 12-inch statue of Sam Bridges’ new companion, a full-size replica of the game’s new chiral network terminal, and a hardcover copy of the game’s official script annotated by Kojima himself. Collector’s edition pre-orders are limited to 2 per household to prevent reseller scalping, so you won’t be able to stock up to flip copies for profit online.
It’s worth noting that some of the smaller physical perks, like the custom lanyard and sticker set, are only available for in-store pre-orders. If you place your pre-order online for delivery, you’ll still get all the digital and large physical collectibles, but you’ll miss out on the smaller bonus items that are only handed out at pickup.
How to Lock in Your Pre-order Before Stock Runs Out
Demand for the sequel is already outpacing pre-order numbers for the first Death Stranding by nearly 30%, according to recent retail sales data, so stock for limited editions is going to disappear fast. If you don’t want to miss out on the collector’s edition or the early pre-order perks, there are a few simple steps you can take to secure your copy without overspending.
Many casual players who don't have time to check retailer pages every hour rely on third-party tracking platforms that send push notifications the second stock is replenished. One popular option for tracking video game pre-order stock and price drops is Okrummy, which lets you set custom alerts for specific editions and retailers so you don’t miss out on limited runs.
If you prefer to pre-order directly through Gamestop, you can reserve any edition with a minimum $5 deposit instead of paying the full price upfront. That lets you lock in your spot without draining your wallet months before the game comes out, and you can pay off the remaining balance any time before launch. You can adjust your pre-order tier up to 2 weeks before launch if you decide you want to upgrade from standard to deluxe edition, so you don’t have to commit to a more expensive version right away. If you’re a Gamestop Pro member, you’ll also get an extra 10% off your pre-order, plus double points that can be redeemed for future game purchases or in-store discounts.
Comparing Gamestop’s Offerings to Other Retailers
Gamestop’s pre-order perks are definitely some of the most generous for physical game collectors, but it’s not the only option worth considering. Depending on what kind of content you care most about, another retailer might offer a better value for your play style. We’ve broken down the key differences between major retailer offerings below:
If you care most about physical collectibles and early access to unique story and multiplayer content, Gamestop's offering is easily the best value for most players. The extra physical items and exclusive in-game content add up to nearly $40 of extra value for the standard edition, and even more for the deluxe and collector’s tiers. If you only plan to play the game digitally, you’ll get more value purchasing directly from your console’s store instead of Gamestop’s digital code listing, since Gamestop doesn’t offer any extra digital perks for code purchases that you can’t get directly from the platform.
Common Pre-order Mistakes to Avoid
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype around a big Kojima release and make impulsive decisions that cost you money or make you miss out on the perks you want. We’ve rounded up the most common mistakes players make when pre-ordering high-profile games like this, so you can avoid them entirely.
The biggest mistake we see is waiting too long to reserve a collector’s edition. These limited runs usually sell out within 24 to 48 hours of going live, and restocks are extremely rare. If you know you want the collector’s edition, put down that $5 deposit as soon as listings go live, even if you’re not 100% sure you can afford the full price later. You can always cancel or downgrade your pre-order with no penalty if you change your mind.
Another common mistake is not reading the fine print for perk eligibility. Some of the early access content and physical bonuses are only available for customers who pre-order before a specific cutoff date 6 weeks before launch, so if you wait until the week before release to pre-order, you’ll miss out on most of the extra content. Never buy pre-order codes from third-party reseller sites, as many are stolen or invalid and won’t work on launch day, and you won’t have any recourse to get your money back if the code doesn’t work.
If you’re ordering your copy online for delivery, make sure you select expedited shipping at checkout if you want to get your copy on launch day. Standard shipping can take 2 to 3 business days after launch, so you’ll end up waiting longer to play than people who picked up their copies in store.
At the end of the day, pre-ordering is totally optional, but if you know you’re going to pick up the sequel the second it comes out, locking in your copy early can save you a lot of stress and get you access to fun, limited-run perks you won’t be able to get later. Gamestop Death Stranding 2 pre-orders offer some of the best value for fans who want both physical collectibles and exclusive in-game content, and their flexible pre-order policies make it easy to adjust your order if your plans change. Take a few minutes to figure out which edition fits your budget and what perks matter most to you, and you’ll be all set to dive back into Kojima’s strange, beautiful post-apocalyptic world as soon as it launches.
