As with the first game, Death Stranding 2 has various stats you can improve and level up over time, though they’re more varied—and important—than before.. You also improve them in a slightly different way, too.
With even harsher conditions across Mexico and Australia than in North America, including new storms, earthquakes, landslides, and so on, you need to have your wits about you. Focusing on boosting these stats will pay off massively in helping you deal with new threats.
This guide is based on the PS5 version of Death Stranding 2, but we’ll update it if anything changes as and when the PC version arrives. If the first game is anything to judge by, we could see it coming our way in around six months time.
How to improve each Death Stranding 2 stat
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)
There are a total of 12 stats that you can level up, split into two categories: Sam’s fitness and his weaponry skills. You level each of these stats by performing a different action—some easier than others, like terrain traversal—with five levels of upgrades to progress through:
Stat
How to Improve
Effect
Terrain Traversal
Traverse natural obstacles like slopes, rivers
Reduces stamina depletion when wading through water or scrambling up gradients
Carry heavy cargo loads over long distances
Increases Sam’s maximum weight limit
Endurance
Running for long periods of time
Reduces fatigue accumulation
KO Resistance
Moving while holding to centre your balance, and blocking enemy attacks
Damage reduction to make Sam harder to knock unconscious
Lung Capacity
Holding your breath for extended periods of time
Increases how long you can hold your breath for
Strand Skills
Binding enemies from behind (stealth takedowns)
Increases the attack range of your strand
Mastery: Melee Combat
Kill enemies while unarmed or using melee weapons
Increases melee damage, attack combo length, and makes melee weapons more durable
Mastery: Handguns
Kill enemies using handguns
Improve reload speed, reticle sway, and recoil control with handguns
Mastery: Assault Rifles
Kill enemies using assault rifles
Improve reload speed, reticle sway, and recoil control with assault rifles
Mastery: Sniper Rifles
Kill enemies using sniper rifles
Improve reload speed, reticle sway, and recoil control with sniper rifles
Mastery: Machine Guns
Kill enemies using Machine Guns
Improve reload speed, reticle sway, and recoil control with machine guns
Mastery: Shotguns
Kill enemies using shotguns
Improve reload speed, reticle sway, and recoil control with shotguns
Death Stranding 2 APAS Enhancements: Porter Grades
Death Stranding 2 carry capacity: Porter-bility
Death Stranding 2 vehicles: All rides
Death Stranding 2 repair vehicles: Charged and ready
Death Stranding 2 fast travel: Skip the scenery
Death Stranding 2 Magellen evaluation: Short-changed
