Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach continues the legacy of philosophical sci-fi wrapped in package delivery. Once again, Sam Porter Bridges shoulders the burden of reconnecting civilization—only this time, the desolate wilds of Mexico and Australia replace America’s fractured heartland. And with new terrains come deeper systems, rich missions, and a long journey.
So, if you’re wondering how long you’ll be walking, climbing, and fighting your way through the sequel, or simply how many chapters (or episodes) are in Death Stranding 2, this guide has you covered.
- Read more: Does Lou Die in Death Stranding 2?
How Many Chapters are in Death Stranding 2?
In Death Stranding 2, chapters are labeled as episodes, much like the first game. They’re the narrative pillars that frame Sam’s journey, each of them with a cryptic enough title to stir curiosity without spilling spoilers. There is a total of 17 episodes in Death Stranding 2. Sixteen chapters span the main storyline, while the final one is an epilogue and opens the door to post-game content, including extra side orders and exploration.
Unlike typical linear games, these episodes vary a lot in scope with some densely filled with main orders, while others look like brief, introspective pit stops. Here’s the full list of episodes in DS2:
- Sam
- Lou
- Drawbridge
- Raindrops
- Conflagration
- Chrysalis
- Pod
- Deluge
- Puppets
- Isolation
- Quake
- Fragile
- Die Hard
- Last Stranding
- On the Beach
- Tomorrow
- One Day
All Death Stranding 2 Main Orders
There are 49 main story missions called Orders for Sam. These range from delivery tasks and rescue ops to tough boss fights and tech retrievals. The orders are designed to pull you through the Chiral Network reactivation process across both continents. These actually are milestones, even though the real narrative threads usually unfold in the downtime between deliveries.
Not all episodes are equally dense with orders. Many tasks you to hike for hours, craft, or fight, while others pass more briskly as cinematic transitions or emotional interludes.
Below is the complete list of Main Orders in Death Stranding 2:
- Return Home
- Deliver the Chiral Network Gateway to C1
- Deliver One or More Remote Medical Units to Villa Libre
- Recover All Chiral Density Gauges Stolen by Bandits
- Defeat the BTs Near the Former Geophysics Research Lab and Deliver the Prototype MP Bullets
- Defeat the Giant BT
- Deliver the Present for Lou
- Connect the Australian Plate Gate Terminal to the Chiral Network
- Deliver the Chiral Decontaminator to the Government’s Base
- [Elimination] Liberate the Western Environmental Observatory from the Brigands
- Deliver the Communications Disruptor and the Mysterious Recording to the Musician
- Investigate the Unusual Tar Currents near F1
- Restore the Monorail and Deliver Special Alloys to F1
- Deliver All Terraforming Equipment to Rainbow Valley
- Deliver the Test Subject Kangaroo to the Animal Shelter
- Deliver All Aid Packages to the Northern Environmental Observatory
- Escape the Strange Realm
- [Hazardous] Recover All Weapon Sets and Burrowing Bombs Stolen by Brigands
- [Do Not Submerge] Deliver Necrobiotes to the F2 South Distribution Center
- Deliver All Aid Packages and Chiral Printer Parts to F1
- Rescue the Dowser’s Friend from the Armed Survivalists
- Search for Tomorrow
- Deliver Flower Assortments Collected Near a Large Waterfall and Deliver Tar Magnetite to Heartman’s Lab
- [Chilled] Deliver the Beach Yeast to the Pizza Chef
- [Keep Flat/Express] Deliver a Piping Hot Pizza to the Data Scientist
- Recover the Old BB Pod from the Armed Survivalists’ Base
- Deliver All Tar Dissolvent to the DHV Magellan
- Extract Data from the Weapons Fabricator and Destroy Them, Then Bring the Data Back to the DHV Magellan in the Ring Terminal Expansion Device
- Recover the Coffin from the Armed Survivalists’ Base
- Deliver All Prototype Life Support Systems to F4
- Return from the Strange Realm
- [Do Not Submerge] Deliver the Cryptobiote Variants to the Chronobiologist
- Deliver Timefall-Resistant Emu to the Metagenomicist
- Deliver All Chiral Microbes to the F5 East Distribution Center
- [Elimination] Extract Data from the Ghost Mech Fabrications and Destroy Them Along with Any Guards, Then Bring the Data Back to the DHV Magellan
- [Hazardous] Cross Treacherous Snowy Peaks to Deliver a Meteorite to the Adventurer
- Rescue the Adventurer from the Snowy Mountains
- Deliver the Chiral Decontaminators and Sedatives to the Eastern Environmental Observatory
- Destroy the Giant Ghost Mech
- [Breakable Cargo] Recover All Stranded Cargo
- [Hazardous] Deliver the Chiral Field Controller Prototypes to F6
- Deliver Chiral Cyclotron Parts and All Special Materials to the DHV Magellan
- Destroy All Chiral Jammers and Eliminate the Threat to the Southern Environmental Observatory
- Deliver the Network Stabilizer to the F7 North Distribution Center
- Return from the Strange Realm
- Deliver the Drawbridge Terminal Unit to F8
- Rescue Tomorrow and Prevent the Last Stranding
- Find an Item with a Deep Connection to Higgs
- Return Home with Lou
How Long is Death Stranding 2?
Death Stranding 2 is open-world and offers multiple playstyles, so your playtime depends on how you approach:
- Main Story Only: If just after the narrative including minimal side detours, and a clean focus on the 49 main orders, expect to invest around 33 to 40 hours. That’s a fairly lean run, but still substantial.
- Story + Some Exploration: Many players will naturally explore more and dabble in optional side orders. With that mixed approach, it can take between 50–60 hours.
- Completionist Run: To achieve the Platinum trophy by completing every facility connection, finding hidden NPCs, optimizing delivery routes, and looking into the social features (like shared structures and likes), then be ready to spend 100 to 120 hours—or more to reach the end of Death Stranding 2.
Remember, the post-game content (especially in Episode 17) delivers extra optional objectives, which can largely pad your playtime without being filler.
The time investment in Death Stranding 2 is layered, sometimes meditative, sometimes intense, and very often bizarrely rewarding. What extends the playthrough is the deliberate pace of the world scale. Side missions play their part to expand the story, or you end up collecting powerful or valuable equipment. Chiral Network’s upgrade unlocks fast travel and better tools, and there’s evolving community-built infrastructure, which blurs the line between solo adventure and shared world.
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