Death Stranding 2: Game Length Revealed

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is now available on PS5, taking players on an expansive journey across Australia as Sam Porter Bridges works to connect a new continent to the Chiral Network. But just how long will it take to complete the game? Below, we share how many hours it took various IGN team members to finish the main story and what they focused on during their playthroughs.

Simon Cardy - Senior Editor

I completed Death Stranding 2’s story in just over 34 hours. I was fully engrossed in the twisting narrative and mainly stuck to core missions, only tackling around a dozen optional objectives along the way. While this didn’t make my experience notably harder—thanks to streamlined mechanics and fewer obstacles—engaging with side quests does reward you with extra gear for the journey. That said, the sequel reduces a lot of the friction of the original, making it easier to stay on track without feeling underpowered. Still, the later chapters do offer some challenging combat scenarios and demanding deliveries that require careful planning.

I’ve since played another ten hours, reconnecting all of Australia and Mexico to the Chiral Network. But I still want to boost every facility’s connection rating to five stars. As someone who hates leaving things unfinished, I'll be putting on Sam’s boots again to take on every remaining mission Death Stranding 2 has waiting.

Matt Kim - Senior Feature Editor

Completing the main story of Death Stranding 2 and reaching the credits took me around 38 hours. And no—half of that wasn’t spent watching cutscenes. Hideo Kojima has clearly aimed for more focused storytelling this time, trimming cinematic runtimes so players can spend more time actually playing the game. I was laser-focused on the main campaign, only occasionally stepping away for the odd side quest. Those diversions probably added a couple of hours to my total playtime, but there’s still plenty of optional content I’m excited to dive back into. Maybe I’ll even try for the platinum trophy—who knows?

Nick Limon - Executive Producer

I reached the credits after 41 hours with Death Stranding 2. I took things at my own pace, exploring hidden corners across Mexico and Australia, enjoying the atmospheric soundscapes and listening to tunes on my portable music player. Though I didn’t manage to reconnect the entire continent, I linked up most of the region to the Chiral Network. A few outposts still remain, and I plan to finish those off soon. Much of my playtime was spent improving relationships with Preppers, using upgrades and items that fit my approach. Compared to the first game, Death Stranding 2 offers much more handcrafted side content—at least from what I experienced—and I’m excited to return and uncover it all. Keep on keeping on!

Are you planning to play Death Stranding 2? Do you want to savor every side delivery and experience all the game has to offer, or are you here primarily for the story, eager to reach the end? Let us know in the comments!