When I first stumbled on the isolated prepper bunker halfway up the mountain range west of Knot City during my second playthrough, I had no idea the data scientist in Death Stranding 2 would become one of the most useful NPCs I’d unlock all game. Most players rush through the main delivery quests to advance the plot, but taking 20 minutes to track down and build rapport with this side character pays off way more than you’d think. I’ve put over 120 hours into the game so far, and I still use the tools he gives me for every long-haul delivery across BT-infested territory.
Who Is the Data Scientist in Death Stranding 2, Anyway?
He’s a former Bridges climate researcher who left the organization shortly after the first Death Stranding events, frustrated by leadership’s choice to withhold long-term weather prediction data from small, unaffiliated prepper settlements. He’s been living off-grid in his cliffside bunker ever since, running his own independent chiral climate modeling lab focused on extending timefall forecast windows far beyond the 2-hour limit Bridges provides to connected settlements. Unlike most preppers you’ll encounter, he doesn’t distrust Bridges entirely, he just thinks the organization is prioritizing large city populations over the smaller groups that need support most.
He’s one of the only NPCs in the game that doesn’t require you to complete dozens of tedious small deliveries to gain his trust. When you first find his bunker, he’ll immediately ask if you’re willing to share any weather data you collect on your travels, no hoops to jump through first. I was shocked when I first connected him to the Chiral Network, because he immediately uploaded three months of local storm data I hadn’t seen referenced anywhere else in the main story or other NPC quest lines. His backstory also ties into a small side plot about Bridges’ early data suppression efforts that a lot of players miss entirely if they skip side NPCs.
Core Gameplay Benefits of Unlocking the Data Scientist
Maxing out your connection level with this NPC gives you access to some of the most useful quality-of-life upgrades in the entire game, all focused on making long delivery runs less stressful and more efficient. I unlocked him about 10 hours into my first playthrough, and the perks he provided cut my total playtime by nearly 15 hours by the time I rolled credits. The benefits scale as you raise your connection level, so even partial rapport with him gives you tangible value early on.
- Access to 72-hour timefall storm forecasts for every region on the map, so you can plan long deliveries without getting caught in sudden corrosion that ruins your cargo and damages your gear
- Custom chiral data storage chips that let you carry 30% more digital delivery cargo without adding extra weight to your backpack, perfect for large medical data or research delivery quests
- A unique weather-resistant backpack cover that reduces timefall damage to all your carried gear by 40%, no matter how long you’re stuck in a heavy storm
I used to spend 10 minutes before every cross-country delivery checking three different weather stations to avoid unexpected storms, but now I just pull up his custom forecast once and I’m good to go. The storage chips are a game-changer for digital delivery runs, too – I used to have to make two trips to deliver all the medical data for the remote mountain prepper settlement, now I can fit everything in one run. You’ll cut your average delivery time for long-haul routes by nearly 25% once you have all his perks unlocked. The only catch is you have to bring him a rare sample of volcanic chiral crystal dust to unlock his highest tier rewards, but it’s well worth the short detour to the southern volcano region to grab it.
Step-by-Step Tips to Recruit the Data Scientist Fast
You don’t have to wait until mid-game to unlock this NPC, either. You can reach his bunker as soon as you gain access to the Central Region after completing the first three main story missions. The only gear you’ll need to bring is a high-level climbing anchor and a pair of non-slip boots, since his bunker is built into a steep cliff face that’s almost impossible to climb without the right equipment. I tried to get to him the first time with basic starter gear and fell twice, losing a whole batch of emergency medicine I was carrying for another delivery, so don’t make that same mistake.
You don’t have to do these deliveries one at a time – you can stack them with other main story deliveries heading to the same area to save time. Once you drop off the data at all three locations, head back to his bunker and he’ll automatically connect to the Chiral Network, giving you immediate access to his basic 24-hour storm forecasts. You don’t have to grind special deliveries to raise your connection level after that, either. Any storm data or chiral crystal samples you collect on your regular runs can be shared with him to raise your rapport, so you can max out his level without going out of your way for extra quests.
Common Mistakes to Avoid With the Data Scientist
After playing through the game three times and talking to dozens of other players in community forums, I’ve seen a few common mistakes that make this NPC way less useful than he could be. The first and most common one is selling the custom chiral data storage chips he gives you for extra chiral crystals. A lot of new players think the chips are just random junk, but they’re one of the only weightless cargo upgrades in the game, and you can’t buy them anywhere else from vendors or other NPCs. Once you sell them, you can’t get them back, so hold onto every single one he sends you.
Another mistake is ignoring his storm warnings. I once ignored a red alert he sent about a category 4 timefall storm because I wanted to finish a time-sensitive delivery fast, and I ended up losing 80% of my cargo to corrosion, plus my motorcycle got totaled beyond repair. The warnings are 100% accurate once you’ve raised your connection level high enough, so it’s always worth adjusting your route or waiting a few in-game hours for the storm to pass instead of pushing through. The more data you share, the more accurate his forecasts get – after I shared 20 different storm samples with him, his forecasts were 95% accurate, compared to 70% when I first unlocked him. He also occasionally sends you free custom gear in your locker at Knot City if you share data regularly, so it’s a win-win for very little effort.
At the end of the day, it’s easy to write off side NPCs as unnecessary filler in open world games, but the data scientist in Death Stranding 2 is one of the few characters that actually makes your core gameplay experience noticeably easier and less frustrating. You don’t have to go out of your way to grind for hours to unlock all his perks, either – a single 20 minute detour early in the game gives you access to tools that will benefit you for the rest of your playthrough. If you’re planning a run through the more dangerous western regions of the map any time soon, I’d highly recommend adding a stop at his bunker to your route first.
